Note: This course will be offered every other year.
This section of this course is offered on campus, for students who can attend in person. This course will meet once a week in-person. In order to safeguard the health and safety of students, there is a possibility that all sections of this class will convert to a remote format for all or part of the term. To enrol in this course all students must meet or exceed the tech requirements for enrolment in University of Toronto courses, which can be found here [https://www.viceprovoststudents.utoronto.ca/students/tech-requirements-online-learning/]
Children have a special legal status in society. Considered to be in need of protections, they also experience significant limits on their own agency and autonomy. This course will explore the legal status of children in Canada from their historical treatment as property of their parents or the state, to a more expansive child rights approach that is inconsistently applied today. Topics covered will include children within the family, with a particular emphasis on child protection, children and the Charter, indigenous children, and decision-making by children, along with key concepts such as the best interests of the child, the competency and developmental capacity of children and youth, and what is meant by child rights. Course readings will include major cases, legislation and critical analysis of the treatment of children and adolescents in our legal system. International and multidisciplinary perspectives will provide broader insights into child and youth advocacy and the approach to children's rights stemming from the global recognition of child rights enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The seminar will include interactions with guests from professional disciplines who collaborate in the field of child advocacy including social workers, psychologists and child rights advocates. Students will learn how our society defines, upholds, advances and protects the rights of children, and what the role of the lawyer is when representing children in different legal contexts.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand basic concepts of the law related to children and youth.
- Comprehend and appreciate the historical, socio-economic and cultural context in which child and family laws, policies and practices have been developed and implemented.
- Understand and be able to apply a child rights perspective to legal advocacy, policy or analysis.
- Develop a basic understanding of child and adolescent development and its impact on law, policy and practice.
- Situate the law as it applies to Canadian children within the broader international perspectives of international treaties and diverse cultures.
- Understand the unique role and ethical responsibilities of lawyers who represent child clients.
