This is the minds on icon.

Welcome to Canadian and International Law!

You have chosen to learn about a discipline that is both fascinating and relevant to your life. The study of law can take you in a number of different directions and it is intricately connected to many other areas of study and of life. For example:

  • A student of biology may study forensics and give expert testimony as part of his job.
  • A computer whiz may find herself working with the police to track internet crimes.
  • The owner of a business will have to use contract law to interact with employees, taxation law to meet government requirements and health and safety laws to ensure his hotel meets legal standards.
  • A journalist may report on legal issues or cases on a regular basis.
This is an image of a game of scrabble. The letter pieces spell the word ‘Justice’.

The justice system has many components that affect different areas of life. Issues of justice and law capture the imagination of many people.

Everyone has an idea about what law is, what laws mean to our society and whether or not the laws we have are ‘good’ or reasonable. Laws and regulations are literally all around us. Take a moment to consider the number of ways in which your life intersects with the law on a daily basis:

  • The Federal

    This is the level of government that governs the entire country.

    Cosmetic Regulations and the Food and Drugs Act requires that the toothpaste you used this morning and the cream you put on your face was manufactured, prepared, preserved, packed and stored under sanitary conditions.
  • The Ontario provincial Food Safety and Quality Act, 2001 ensures that the fruit you eat for breakfast has met quality standards.
  • The public transit or school bus that you used to get to work or to school is subject to the Public Vehicles Act which contains regulations that ensure the driver and vehicle are properly licensed in order to keep the public safe.
  • The radio station you listened to on the way to work was influenced by the Broadcasting Act.

This is the did you know icon. Did You Know?

When you write the name of a law, you use italics as it is a formal title.

How many ways has your life intersected with the law this week?

Read the following excerpt produced by the federal government that discusses the various purposes of the law and the way we interact with the justice system.

”What is the Law” Department of Justice, Government of Canada

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This is the question/answer icon. Questions

Use the quick quiz below to check your understanding of the reading.

  1. What are some of the ideas and principles that form the foundation of our legal system?
    Answer

    The rule of law, freedom under the law, democratic principles, and respect for others form the foundations of Canada’s legal heritage. This means that the law should apply equally to all people, the law should protect the freedoms and rights of all people and that all citizens should have a voice in the formation of the government.

  1. What are the two main categories of law?
    Answer

    Public law sets the rules for the relationship between the individual and society. It includes criminal law, constitutional law and administrative law.

    Private law; also called Civil law, sets the rules between individuals. Private law settles disputes among groups of people and compensates victims.

  1. What purpose do laws serve in our society?
    Answer

    Laws establish rules of conduct that protect everyone’s rights. Laws identify our responsibilities as members of society. Laws protect property, solve disputes and carry out social policy. Laws help to ensure a safe and peaceful society.

Law in Your Life

Take a moment to view this quick video about the many different ways in which the government controls aspects of our lives. Many of our everyday interactions have a legal component.

Now, can you match each activity to its legal connection?

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This is only a snapshot of the many laws that are in place to help to keep you safe and regulate your daily life. As the reading above notes, laws serve many different purposes in our society. Laws:

  • outline roles and responsibilities of individuals, groups, governments and corporations;
  • can solve disputes or controversies;
  • can help avoid conflict;
  • can protect people and property;
  • can articulate a goal or standard of behaviour through policy development;
  • can maintain peace and order.
This is an image of a water droplet hitting a pool of water. The water ripples out from the centre.

The law influences many areas of our lives.

While it is clear that the law is a pervasive force in our lives and serves a variety of purposes in society, these are perhaps not the reasons you chose to study law.

This is the action icon.

Have a look at the photo below.

This is an image of the starting line at the 1932 Tunis Grand Prix. The photo is black and white. The cars are ready to begin the race. People are lined up on either side of the racetrack.

Modern racing looks very different from this 1932 photo of the Grand Prix.
The justice system, just like the field of automobile racing, has undergone significant change over the years.
Wikimedia Commons

There are a host of questions that you might ask about this photo. The questions you ask will likely be connected to your interests; perhaps you are interested in fashion and are curious about the style of hats in 1932 or the absence of women at the event. The evolution of sporting events such as racing may intrigue you or you may be drawn by an interest in changes in automotive technology.

Take a moment to try to look at this photograph through a legal lens or perspective. What do you wonder when you look at this photo?

Click on the bubbles below to view examples of questions:

This is the idea of a filter or way of seeing. When you think about an idea or issue, you often look at it through the lens or filter of your own experiences. For example: A teenager might look at the loss of a young person through a tragic event very differently than a parent in the community.

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Why ask questions?

You live in a world in which there is information available at your fingertips at any time of the day or night. However, it is important to recognize that if you don’t ask questions to pursue your curiosity, you will not be able to access all of that information. Within disciplines there are often specific ways of thinking about that particular subject. In law for example, we are interested in asking questions that target:

  • Legal Significance: Why a law or legal issue is important?
  • Legal Perspective: How might members of the justice community view this event or legal controversy?
  • Interrelationships: What roles do individuals, groups and governments play in the justice system?
  • Change and Continuity: How have laws changed over time and why?

These are areas of study such as history, law, geography etc.

Good Questions

What questions did you ask about the photo above? Were they "good" questions?

What exactly is a "good" question? An effective question in legal studies should:

  • generate other additional questions;
  • lead to more than one possible answer/response;
  • link to essential ideas in a discipline;
  • connect to a concept of thinking;
  • focus upon aspects of the content or evidence under exploration.
This is an image of a blue question mark with an non-descript figure sitting on it.

Asking questions is a crucial skill that is developed with practice.

This is the enrichment icon. Extend Your Learning

You might wish to take a few minutes to watch this interesting TEDTalk video called "Why do we ask questions?" by Michael "Vsauce" Stevens. One of the big ideas he presents is that people learn best when they are curious and when they ask questions. What other big ideas can you identify in his talk?

These are the main concepts or ideas presented.

Alternately, you may wish to watch Rachael Herrscher’s presentation "What?:  Asking the Right Questions." She takes both a personal and health care perspective when she argues that asking good questions can improve the medical system. What evidence does she use to support her argument?

Though this is an optional activity, if you are heading to post secondary education in the near future, it is good to experience a lecture style presentation and be an active listener. It is also pertinent as it discusses the importance of questions in learning. Both lecturers highlight the connection between the skills learned in the study of law and other areas of interest.

This is a screen capture of the start of the video. Reflection

The ability to ask a good question is a skill that is required in all careers.

Consider:

  • Why is my business slower at a particular point in the day, week, month or year?
  • What patterns are developing that will alter the way that I work? Eg. How can I prepare for the growth of technology in my field?
  • How might addressing inefficiencies in the administration of a hospital increase the safety of patients?
  • How can I communicate my ideas to my employer?
  • Is this a safe working environment? Are there potential hazards of which I am unaware?

Can you think of an example of a time when it might be necessary to ask a question at work?

Learning Skills

You should also ask questions about yourself to monitor your progress and to reflect upon areas of strength and areas in need of improvement. Consider learning skills for example.

Learning skills are the skills that you need to develop throughout your education in order to continue to post-secondary education, to participate effectively in the workforce and to engage as a citizen. They are responsibility, organization, independent work, collaboration, initiative and self regulation. The learning skills icon at the top of every content page lists examples of behaviour that is encouraged and indicative of each learning skill.

Please take a moment to watch this 3 minute clip called Active Listening. Speaker Katie Owens discusses the need to be present in the moment. She had to regulate or adjust her own behaviour in order to be a better friend and a better listener.

In the content above, you considered the role of asking questions at work and in your personal life. It is also crucial to academic study. Asking questions is a key part of critical thinking and of the legal inquiry process. Notice that asking questions is just one component of this diagram. Take a moment to look at all of the different aspects of critical thinking and the way they are interconnected. You can begin your inquiry at many different points in the process.

This is an image of 5 cogs on a wheel. Each cog is interconnected. One cog is labelled ‘formulate questions’; one is labelled ‘ gather and organize’; one is labelled ‘interpret and analyze’; the fourth is labelled ‘evaluate and draw conclusions’ and the final cog is labelled ‘communicate’. These are all steps in the legal inquiry process.

This diagram illustrates the connections between the different parts of the legal inquiry process.

You have been introduced to the idea of asking questions about law. Look at the image below. What questions pop into your mind?

This is an image of two vehicles that have collided. There is a tow truck in the background. In the foreground a man is walking. There are emergency vehicles and personnel present in the photo.

Car accidents can be costly and potentially devastating to individuals and families.

What does it mean to think critically about this picture?

Imagine that you turn on the television or your phone one morning to get a quick update on the news. This image is in a prominent position on the screen. Initially you might ask the questions “Was anyone injured?” or “What were the circumstances of this accident?” or “Why is this news? Accidents happen every day.”

You are curious so you decide to read a bit more and gather more information. There is a brief interview with a witness from the scene and a comment from a police officer. Included in the newspaper report is an overview of potential charges that might be laid against one of the drivers. You might think about the information you know at this point. Ask yourself: “What other information is missing? What else do I need to know in order to fully understand the accident?” You are analyzing the information you have and trying to understand or interpret it. Perhaps you wonder; “What punishments or penalties are associated with those charges?”

You take a moment to look up the Highway Traffic Act.

This is a section of the Highway Traffic Act.

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You discover that racing on a public street for money could potentially result in a fine, a term of imprisonment or a license suspension. You have gathered some evidence about the event and at this point you may begin to draw some conclusions about the event that occurred. You may feel strongly about a potential punishment. You might think “These people endangered the public and the courts should impose a harsh penalty so that other people will be deterred.” Alternately, you may think “If this person is young and has no police record, it may be suitable to have a less severe penalty.” You consider the event over the course of the day and talk about it with your older brother and with your co-workers that evening. Each of you communicates your questions, information and conclusions about the issue of street racing through conversation and social media throughout the day.

This means to discourage someone.

This is the dropbox icon. "What I see, what I wonder?"

Now it is your turn.

You engage in critical thinking whenever you encounter images, situations, news stories or articles and find yourself curious about them. Such things as images often prompt us to ask questions.

Look at each of the following images. For each image, describe the image and create two "good" questions.

 

This is an image of a courtroom.

Aaron Lynett/National Post

This is a graph of the changes in police-reported crime rates in Canada between the years 1962 and 2012. There is a solid blue line representing the total number of crimes, a dashed red line indicating property crimes, a dashed green line indicating other crimes and a solid light blue representing violent crimes

Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey

This is an image of a child standing at a window in an old factory. The walls are made of brick. It is a black and white photo likely taken in the early years of the 20th century. She is approximately 10 years old and she is wearing an apron.

Public Domain

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