This class will introduce students to the Canadian constitution and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Students will learn the history of and constitutional basis for parliamentary democracy, Canadian federalism, judicial independence, the role of the monarchy, and the origins and foundations of Indigenous rights. The course will also focus specifically on the role of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and students will learn about the constitutional rights to expression, equality, assembly, free practice of religion, the different official language guarantees, and the democratic rights to vote and run for office. Special attention will also be paid to how rights can be constitutionally limited through an examination of the notwithstanding clause and the Charter’s reasonable limits clause.
Areas of Focus: Canadian Government and Politics and Public Law