Insolvency law is a core part of business law and materially impacts many other areas of law. A key goal of the course is to provide a strong conceptual understanding of insolvency law that is of broad general use.

This course will involve a study of the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act, and the various insolvency regimes these statutes provide for, including corporate bankruptcy, receiverships, and proposals under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, restructuring and liquidating Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act proceedings, and international insolvencies. The first half of the course will focus on business and consumer bankruptcies under the BIA and receiverships of insolvent businesses, while the second half will focus on business reorganizations including arrangements under the CCAA and proposals under the BIA.

Considerable emphasis will be placed on (i) understanding the legal, economic and social policies that underlie these regimes, (ii) situating bankruptcy law within the broader context of commercial transactions in Canada and globally, and (iii) identifying some of the impacts of insolvency laws on other practice areas.

Evaluation
There will be an open book final examination divided into two parts, each worth 45%. Part 1 will focus on the materials covered in the first half of the course, while Part 2 will focus on materials covered in the second half. Students may choose from the following two options: Option A: write both Parts of the exam over a 3 hour period for 90% of the marks, with the remaining 10% based upon classroom participation. Option B: write a 3,000 word essay for the Insolvency Institute of Canada Student Essay competition (more information available at www.insolvency.ca) due on the deadline for submission of written work (for 45% of the marks) AND write Part 1 of the exam over a 1.5 hour period (for another 45% of the marks), with the remaining 10% based upon classroom participation. In addition, students who choose Option B will become eligible for up to 5% bonus marks by giving a 10 minute class presentation based on their essay. Note: Option A is the default evaluation method for this course. Students wishing to select Option B must receive written permission from the course instructors and notify the Records Office by March 1.
Academic year
2023 - 2024

At a Glance

Second Term
Credits
3
Hours
3

Enrolment

Maximum
60

57 JD
3 LLM/SJD/MSL/SJD U

Schedule

T: 9:30 am - 12:20 pm