Public Law


Faculty List

Political Science

  • E. Acorn, B.A. (Victoria), M.A. (Dalhousie), J.D. (Toronto), Ph.D. (Cornell), Assistant Professor
  • N. Bernhardt, B. A. (Queens), Ph.D. (York)
  • C. Cochrane, B.A. (St. Thomas), M.A. (McGill), Ph.D. (Toronto), Associate Professor 
  • C. Cowie, B.A. (Western), M.A. (Manitoba), Ph.D. (Alberta), Assistant Professor 
  • R. Hurl, B.A. (Toronto), M.A., Ph.D. (Cornell), Lecturer 
  • F. Kahraman, B.A. (Boğaziçi), M.A., Ph.D. (Washington), Assistant Professor 
  • M.L. Kohn, B.A. (Williams), M.A., Ph.D. (Cornell), Professor
  • A. McDougall, B.A. (Toronto), M.A. (Queens), LL.B. (Queens), Ph.D. (Toronto), Assistant Professor 
  • R. Schertzer, B.A. (Carleton), M.Sc., Ph.D. (London School of Economics), Associate Professor 

Sociology

  • ·J. Hermer, B.A. (Western), M.A. (Carlton), Ph.D. (Oxford), Associate Professor, Chair 
  • R. Salem, B.A. (Cairo), M.Sc. (Oxford), Ph.D. (Princeton), Associate Professor
  • E. Fosse, B.A. (Kansas), MA (Harvard), Ph.D. (Harvard), Assistant Professor
  • D. Kwan-Lafond, Ph.D. (York) M.Ed (OISE), BSW (Ryerson), Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream
     

Chair: Christopher Cochrane 
Program Advisor Email: pol-advisor@utsc.utoronto.ca 
For more information, visit the Department of Political Science website.

Students will be able to request the Major Program in Public Law in Spring 2025.   

Public Law is the study of how legal systems govern the relationship between different orders of government and between people and governments. This interdisciplinary program is intended for students with an interest in law and politics. Students will acquire an in-depth understanding of rights and justice as well as the institutions and social movements that help realize these ideals. Courses in the program address the normative foundations of legal systems and the role of constitutions and courts in upholding the rule of law.. The Major in Public Law also provides students with an opportunity for broad-based study of the Canadian legal system in an historical and international context. The program also examines international law and emerging issues in the study of law and politics. Students are advised that becoming a lawyer requires an additional degree (a J.D. or LL.B. from an accredited law school) and meeting licensing requirements. 

Status in the Public Law Major

Status in the program will be determined at the end of each session (Fall, Winter, and Summer) for all students in the Major in Public Law. Students with cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 2.0 or higher will be able to remain in the program. A student in the Major whose CGPA falls below 2.0 will be placed on probation. Students must clear their probation by achieving a CGPA of 2.0 in the next semester. Students who fail to achieve a CGPA of 2.0 in the next semester will be removed from the Major in Public Law. These students should seek advising from the Academic Advising and Career Centre, or the Program Coordinator for the Department of Political Science.

The Department of Political Science hosts the Specialist, Major, and Minor programs in Political Science, the Major and Major (Co-Op) Programs in Public Policy, and the Major and Minor programs in Public Law.

For more information about the programs in Political Science and Public Law, please refer to the Political Science and Public Policy section of the Calendar.

Guidelines for First-Year Course Selection

Students who intend to complete the Major Program in Public Law are recommend to include the following in their first-year course selection: 1.0 credit at the A-level in Political Science.

Experiential Learning and Outreach

For a community-based experiential learning opportunity in your academic field of interest, consider the course CTLB03H3, which can be found in the Teaching and Learning section of the Calendar.
 

Public Law Programs

MAJOR PROGRAM IN PUBLIC LAW (ARTS) - SCMAJ2030

Enrolment in the Major is limited. Students may apply after completing 4.0 credits and must have achieved a minimum CGPA of 2.0. Students who have completed 10.0 or more credits are not eligible.

Submission deadlines follow the Limited Enrolment Program Application Deadlines set by the Office of the Registrar each year. Failure to submit the program request on ACORN will result in that student’s application not being considered. Admission to the Major will be assessed through a consideration of academic performance.

Students must complete 8.0 credits in Public Law as follows:

  1. Foundations in Public Law (2.5 credits):
    POLB30H3 Law, Justice and Rights
    POLB56H3 Critical Issues in Canadian Politics
    POLB57H3 The Canadian Constitution and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms
    SOCB59H3 Sociology of Law
    POLC32H3 The Canadian Judicial System

  2. Methods (1.5 credits):
    SOCB05H3 Logic of Social Inquiry
    POLC35H3 Law and Politics: Contradictions, Approaches and Controversies
    and
    0.5 credit in Quantitative/statistical methods from the following
    [SOCB35H3 Numeracy and Society
    or STAB23H3 Introduction to Statistics for the Social Sciences or POLB40H3 Quantitative Reasoning for Political Science and Public Policy

  3. Applications in Public Law (3.0 credits from the following):
    POLC30H3 Law, Politics, and Technology
    POLC33H3 Politics of International Human Rights
    POLC34H3 The Politics of Crime
    POLC36H3 Law and Public Policy
    POLC38H3 International Law
    POLC39H3 Comparative Law and Politics
    POLC52H3 Indigenous Nations and the Canadian State
    POLC56H3 Indigenous Politics and Law
    POLC59H3 Sources of Power: The Crown Parliament and the People
    POLD54H3 Michi-Saagiig Nishnaabeg Nation Governance and Politics
    SOCB50H3 Deviance and Normality I
    SOCC11H3 Policing and Security
    SOCC30H3 Criminal Behaviour
    SOCC46H3 Special Topics in the Sociology of Law
    SOCC61H3 The Sociology of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission

  4. Advanced Applications in Public Law (1.0 credit from the following):
    POLD30H3 Legal Reasoning
    POLD38H3 Law and Global Business
    POLD42H3 Advanced Topics in Public Law
    POLD44H3 Comparative Law and Social Change
    POLD45H3 Constitutionalism
    POLD46H3 Public Law and the Canadian Immigration System
    POLD31H3 Mooting Seminar
    SOCD05H3 Advanced Seminar in Criminology and Sociology of Law

In meeting the applications and advanced applications requirements, students can apply to count up to 1.0 credit from other appropriate courses, including at the UTSC, UTM and St. George campuses, if approved by the Public Law program administrator.


MINOR PROGRAM IN PUBLIC LAW (ARTS) - SCMIN2030

The Minor in Public Law examines how the legal system, of which the constitutional order and judiciary are integral parts, governs the relationship both among constituent units of the state and between citizens and the state. It also examines the obligations that states have to one another via international law. Courses in the program address the normative foundations of principles of justice and human rights; the role of constitutions and courts in safeguarding the rule of law, protecting civil liberties, and curbing state power; the constraints to state sovereignty posed by international law and international courts; and the implications of the legal order for democratic and legitimate policy-making.

Program Requirements
Students must complete 4.0 credits, of which at least 1.0 credit must be at the C- and/or D-level.

1. Core Courses as follows (2.0 credits):
POLB30H3 Law, Justice and Rights
POLB56H3 Canadian Politics and Government
POLB57H3 The Canadian Constitution and the Charter of Rights
POLC32H3 The Canadian Judicial System

2. Public Law Electives (1.5 credit from the following):

POLC30H3 Law, Politics, and Technology in Applications
POLC33H3 Politics of International Human Rights
POLC34H3 The Politics of Crime
POLC36H3 Law and Public Policy
POLC38H3 International Law
POLC39H3 Comparative Law and Politics
POLC56H3 Indigenous Politics and Law
POLD30H3 Legal Reasoning
POLD38H3 Law and Global Business
POLD42H3 Advanced Topics in Public Law
POLD44H3 Comparative Law and Social Change
POLD45H3 Constitutionalism
POLD46H3 Public Law and the Canadian Immigration System


3. 0.5 credit from requirement 2 above or an appropriate course from another discipline, including at the UTSC, UTM and St. George campuses, as approved by the Public Law Program Advisor.

 

Political Science, Public Law Courses

POLB30H3 - Law, Justice and Rights

This is a lecture course that helps students understand the theoretical justifications for the rule of law. We will study different arguments about the source and limitations of law: natural law, legal positivism, normative jurisprudence and critical theories. The course will also examine some key court cases in order to explore the connection between theory and practice. This is the foundation course for the Minor program in Public Law.
Areas of Focus: Political Theory and Public Law

Prerequisite: Any 4.0 credits
Exclusion: PHLB11H3 (students who have taken PHLB11H3 prior to POLB30H3 may count PHLB11H3 in place of POLB30H3 in the Minor in Public Law)
Recommended Preparation: 0.5 credit in Political Science
Breadth Requirements: History, Philosophy and Cultural Studies
Note: Priority will be given to students enrolled in the Minor program in Public Law. Additional students will be admitted as space permits.

POLB57H3 - The Canadian Constitution and the Charter of Rights

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

Prerequisite: Any 4.0 credits
Exclusion: (POLB50Y3), (POLC68H3), (POL214Y)
Breadth Requirements: Social and Behavioural Sciences

POLC30H3 - Law, Politics and Technology

Today's legal and political problems require innovative solutions and heavily rely on the extensive use of technology. This course will examine the interaction between law, politics, and technology. It will explore how technological advancements shape and are shaped by legal and political systems. Students will examine the impact of technology on the legal and political landscape, and will closely look at topics such as cybersecurity, privacy, intellectual property, social media, artificial intelligence and the relationship of emerging technologies with democracy, human rights, ethics, employment, health and environment. The course will explore the challenges and opportunities that technology poses to politics and democratic governance. The topics and readings take a wider global perspective – they are not confined only on a Canadian context but look at various countries’ experiences with technology.
Area of Focus: Public Law

Prerequisite: POLB30H3 and POLB56H3
Corequisite: N/A
Exclusion: N/A
Recommended Preparation: POLC32H3, POLC36H3
Breadth Requirements: Social and Behavioural Sciences

POLC32H3 - The Canadian Judicial System

This course explores the structure, role and key issues associated with the Canadian judicial system. The first section provides the key context and history associated with Canada’s court system. The second section discusses the role the courts have played in the evolution of the Canadian constitution and politics – with a particular focus on the Supreme Court of Canada. The final section analyzes some of the key debates and issues related to the courts in Canada, including their democratic nature, function in establishing public policy and protection of civil liberties.
Areas of Focus: Canadian Government and Politics and Public Law

Prerequisite: [POLB56H3 and POLB57H3] or (POLB50Y3)
Recommended Preparation: POLB30H3
Breadth Requirements: Social and Behavioural Sciences

POLC33H3 - Politics of International Human Rights

This course aims to provide students with an overview of the way human rights laws, norms, and institutions have evolved. In the first half of the class, we will examine the legal institutions and human rights regimes around the world, both global and regional. In the second half, we will take a bottom-up view by exploring how human rights become part of contentious politics. Special attention will be given to how human rights law transform with mobilization from below and how it is used to contest, challenge and change hierarchical power relationships. The case studies from the Middle East, Latin America, Europe and the US aim at placing human rights concerns in a broader sociopolitical context.

Areas of Focus: International Relations and Public Law

Prerequisite: POLB30H3
Recommended Preparation: POLB90H3 and POLB91H3
Breadth Requirements: Social and Behavioural Sciences

POLC34H3 - The Politics of Crime

This course will explore how the world of criminal justice intersects with the world of politics. Beginning with a history of the “punitive turn” in the criminal justice policy of the late 1970s, this course will look at the major political issues in criminal justice today. Topics studied will include the constitutional context for legislating the criminal and quasi-criminal law, race and class in criminal justice, Canada’s Indigenous peoples and the criminal justice system, the growth of restorative justice, drug prohibition and reform, the value of incarceration, and white-collar crime and organizational liability. More broadly, the class aims to cover why crime continues to be a major political issue in Canada and the different approaches to addressing its control.

Areas of Focus: Comparative Politics and Public Law

Prerequisite: POLB30H3 and [[POLB56H3 and POLB57H3] or (POLB50Y3)]
Breadth Requirements: Social and Behavioural Sciences

POLC35H3 - Law and Politics: Contradictions, Approaches, and Controversies

This course examines different methods and approaches to the study of law and politics. Students will learn how the humanities-based study of law traditionally applied by legal scholars interacts or contradicts more empirically driven schools of thought common in social science, such as law and economics or critical race theory. Students will understand the substantive content of these different approaches and what can be gained from embracing multiple perspectives.

Areas of Focus: Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis, Political Theory, and Public Law

Prerequisite: POLB30H3 and POLB56H3 and POLB57H3
Breadth Requirements: Social and Behavioural Sciences
Note: Enrolment is limited to students enrolled in the Major Program in Public Law.

POLC36H3 - Law and Public Policy

This course examines how different types of legal frameworks affect processes and outcomes of policy-making. It contrasts policy-making in Westminster parliamentary systems and separation of powers systems; unitary versus multi-level or federal systems; and systems with and without constitutional bills of rights.

Areas of Focus: Public Policy and Public Law

Prerequisite: [POLB56H3 and POLB57H3] or (POLB50Y3)
Recommended Preparation: PPGB66H3/(POLC66H3)/(PPGC66H3)
Breadth Requirements: Social and Behavioural Sciences

POLC38H3 - International Law

This course introduces students to the foundations of international law, its sources, its rationale, and challenges to its effectiveness and implementation. Areas of international law discussed include the conduct of war, trade, and diplomacy, as well as the protection of human rights and the environment.
Areas of Focus: International Relations and Public Law

Prerequisite: POLB30H3 or POLB80H3
Exclusion: POL340Y
Breadth Requirements: Social and Behavioural Sciences

POLC39H3 - Comparative Law and Politics

This course examines the interaction between law, courts, and politics in countries throughout the world. We begin by critically examining the (alleged) functions of courts: to provide for “order,” resolve disputes, and to enforce legal norms. We then turn to examine the conditions under which high courts have expand their powers by weighing into contentious policy areas and sometimes empower individuals with new rights. We analyze case studies from democracies, transitioning regimes, and authoritarian states.

Areas of Focus: Comparative Politics and Public Law

Prerequisite: POLB30H3
Breadth Requirements: Social and Behavioural Sciences

POLC56H3 - Indigenous Politics and Law

This course explores key historical and contemporary issues in indigenous politics. Focusing on the contemporary political and legal mobilization of Indigenous peoples, it will examine their pursuit of self-government, land claims and resource development, treaty negotiations indigenous rights, and reconciliation. A primary focus will be the role of Canada’s courts, its political institutions, and federal and provincial political leaders in affecting the capacity of indigenous communities to realize their goals.

Areas of Focus: Canadian Government and Politics, and Public Law

Prerequisite: [POLB56H3 and POLB57H3] or (POLB50Y3)
Exclusion: POL308H, ABS353H, ABS354H
Breadth Requirements: Social and Behavioural Sciences

POLD30H3 - Legal Reasoning

This course will introduce students to the ideas and methods that guide judges and lawyers in their work. How does the abstract world of the law get translated into predictable, concrete decisions? How do judges decide what is the “correct” decision in a given case? The class will begin with an overview of the legal system before delving into the ideas guiding statute drafting and interpretation, judicial review and administrative discretion, the meaning of “evidence” and “proof,” constitutionalism, and appellate review. Time will also be spent exploring the ways that foreign law can impact and be reconciled with Canadian law in a globalizing world.

Areas of Focus: Public Law, and Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis

Prerequisite: POLB30H3 and an additional 1.5 credits at the C-level in POL courses
Breadth Requirements: Social and Behavioural Sciences
Course Experience: University-Based Experience
Note: Priority will be given to students enrolled in the Minor in Public Law.

POLD31H3 - Mooting Seminar

This course will offer senior students the opportunity to engage in a mock court exercise based around a contemporary legal issue. Students will be expected to present a legal argument both orally and in writing, using modern templates for legal documents and argued under similar circumstances to those expected of legal practitioners. The class will offer students an opportunity to understand the different stages of a court proceeding and the theories that underpin oral advocacy and procedural justice. Experiential learning will represent a fundamental aspect of the course, and expertise will be sought from outside legal professionals in the community who can provide further insight into the Canadian legal system where available.
Area of Focus: Public Law

Prerequisite: POLB30H3 and POLC32H3 and an additional 1.5 credits at the C-level in POL courses
Breadth Requirements: Social and Behavioural Sciences
Course Experience: Partnership-Based Experience
Note: Enrolment is limited to students enrolled in the Major Program in Public Law.

POLD38H3 - Law and Global Business

This course examines how law both constitutes and regulates global business. Focusing on Canada and the role of Canadian companies within a global economy, the course introduces foundational concepts of business law, considering how the state makes markets by bestowing legal personality on corporations and facilitating private exchange. The course then turns to examine multinational businesses and the laws that regulate these cross-border actors, including international law, extra-territorial national law, and private and hybrid governance tools. Using real-world examples from court decisions and business case studies, students will explore some of the “governance gaps” produced by the globalization of business and engage directly with the tensions that can emerge between legal, ethical, and strategic demands on multinational business.

Areas of Focus: International Relations and Public Law

Prerequisite: POLC32H3 and 1.0 credit at the C-level in POL courses
Recommended Preparation: POLB80H3
Breadth Requirements: Social and Behavioural Sciences
Course Experience: University-Based Experience

POLD42H3 - Advanced Topics in Public Law

Topics and area of focus will vary depending on the instructor and may include global perspectives on social and economic rights, judicial and constitutional politics in diverse states and human rights law in Canada.
Area of Focus: Public Law

Prerequisite: 1.0 credits from the following [POLC32H3, POLC36H3, POLC39H3]
Breadth Requirements: Social and Behavioural Sciences
Course Experience: University-Based Experience

POLD44H3 - Comparative Law and Social Change

This seminar examines how legal institutions and legal ideologies influence efforts to produce or prevent social change. The course will analyze court-initiated action as well as social actions “from below” (social movements) with comparative case studies.

Areas of Focus: Comparative Politics and Public Law

Prerequisite: POLB30H3 and [POLC33H3 or POLC38H3 or POLC39H3] and [0.5 credit in Comparative Politics]
Exclusion: POL492H1
Breadth Requirements: Social and Behavioural Sciences
Note: Priority will be given to students enrolled in the Minor Program in Public Law.

POLD45H3 - Constitutionalism

This course studies the theory of constitutionalism through a detailed study of its major idioms such as the rule of law, the separation of powers, sovereignty, rights, and limited government.
Areas of Focus: Political Theory and Public Law

Prerequisite: [[(POLB70H3) and (POLB71H3)] or POLB72H3 or POLB30H3] and [1.5 credits at the C-level in POL courses]
Breadth Requirements: History, Philosophy and Cultural Studies

POLD46H3 - Public Law and the Canadian Immigration System

Immigration is one of the most debated and talked about political issues in the 21st century. Peoples’ movement across continents for a whole host of reasons is not new; however, with the emergence of the nation-state, the drawing of borders, and the attempts to define and shape of membership in a political and national community, migration became a topic for public debate and legal challenge. This course dives into Canada’s immigration system and looks at how it was designed, what values and objectives it tries to meet, and how global challenges affect its approach and attitude toward newcomers. The approach used in this course is that of a legal practitioner, tasked with weighing the personal narratives and aspirations of migrants as they navigate legal challenges and explore the available programs and pathways to complete their migration journey in Canada.
Areas of Focus: Canadian Government and Politics, and Public Law

Prerequisite: 1.0 credits from the following: POLC32H3, POLC36H3, POLC39H3
Breadth Requirements: Social and Behavioural Sciences
Course Experience: University-Based Experience

Printer-friendly Version