Instructor(s): Alan S. Diner, Warda Shazadi Meighen

Note: This course satisfies the International/Comparative/Transnational course requirement.

This course provides a rigorous introduction to Canadian refugee law, integrating legal theory with hands-on skill development. Students will study the legal frameworks governing refugee protection, inadmissibility, and risk-based claims while building essential competencies in statutory interpretation, advocacy, and ethics.

The course also addresses contemporary issues such as the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA), climate migration, and the ethical use of artificial intelligence in immigration decision-making. Designed to prepare students for real-world legal practice, the course emphasizes both doctrinal knowledge, both written and oral advocacy and courtroom readiness.

Core Focus Areas:

  • Legal Foundations: Refugee status determination, inadmissibility, detention, exclusion clauses, pre-removal risk assessments (PRRA), ministerial relief and danger opinions.
  • Practical Skills: Written and oral advocacy, ethical decision-making, and statutory interpretation applicable across legal contexts.
  • Emerging Topics: Legal responses to climate displacement, AI in adjudication, and constitutional challenges to existing frameworks.

Interactive Components:

  • Mock hearings and simulated tribunal exercises
  • Advocacy drills to build persuasive argumentation
  • Development of a strategic test case
  • Debates on the role of AI in legal processes
Evaluation
Class participation (10%); interactive exercises (30%); and a final 2-hour open book examination (60%).
Academic year
2025 - 2026

At a Glance

Second Term
Credits
3
Hours
2
ICT

Enrolment

Maximum
25

20 JD
5 LLM/SJD/MSL//SJD U

Schedule

W: 6:10 - 8:00 pm