Law 120

Unit 1: Unit 1: Foundations of the Law

The need for and sources of law, classifying laws, the division of governmental powers, how laws are made, the Charter and human-rights law, the Indian Act, and the structure of the courts.

• The need for and purposes of law
• Historical sources of our laws
• Classifying laws by type

• Division of governmental powers
• How laws are made in Canada

• The Charter of Rights and Freedoms
• The NB Human Rights Act
• The structure of the Indian Act
• Impact of the Indian Act on Aboriginal peoples
• Applying human rights law to cases

• Structure of federal and provincial courts

Unit 2: Unit 2: Criminal Law

Why society criminalizes behaviour, the elements of offences, the criminal justice process from investigation to appeal, defences, sentencing, and applying criminal law to cases.

• Why society criminalizes behaviour
• Elements of a criminal offence
• Parties to an offence
• Indictable and summary offences

• Police investigation and arrest
• Officers of the court
• Pre-trial and trial procedures
• The jury system

• Rules of evidence
• Defences to criminal charges

• Sentencing alternatives
• Avenues of appeal
• Parole eligibility
• Applying criminal law to cases

Unit 3: Unit 3: Civil Law - Torts

The distinction between civil and criminal law, tort law and its purposes, kinds of torts and negligence, remedies and damages, defences, and applying tort law to cases.

• Civil vs criminal matters
• Civil court procedures

• Torts and the purposes of tort law
• Kinds of torts and their elements
• Intentional vs unintentional torts
• Negligence concepts

• Remedies for victims
• Kinds of damages
• Aboriginal litigants in tort actions
• Defences to torts
• Applying tort law to cases

Unit 4: Unit 4: Contracts

The need for contracts, making a valid contract, capacity and discharge, breach and its remedies, and applying contract law to cases.

• The need for contracts and valid agreements
• Purpose, nature, and types of contracts
• Making a valid contract
• Limits and constraints of contracts
• Discharging a contract

• Breach of contract
• Remedies for breach of contract
• Applying contract law to cases

Unit 5: Unit 5: Family Law

The legal meaning of family, marriage and common-law relationships, rights and responsibilities of family members, family breakdown, custody, support, property division, and domestic violence.

• What is a family in legal terms
• Changing trends in family structure
• Legal requirements of marriage and common-law relationships
• Rights and responsibilities of family members
• Adoption

• Legal ramifications of family breakdown
• Separation, divorce, and annulment
• Pre-nuptial and cohabitation agreements
• Deciding custody
• Deciding support
• Dividing matrimonial property

• Applying family law to cases
• Domestic violence and abuse

Unit 6: Unit 6: Estate Law

Wills and their requirements, types of wills and testamentary capacity, executors, intestate succession, powers of attorney, and living wills.

• The importance of a will
• Making, changing, and executing a will
• Types of wills
• Legal capacity to make a will
• Required elements of a valid will
• Duties of the executor

• Intestate succession
• Applying estate law to cases
• Power of attorney
• Living wills
• Living will vs last will and testament

Unit 7: Unit 7: Environmental Law

The need for environmental law, its extent and effectiveness, sustainability, balancing economy and environment, the role of interest groups, and applying environmental law to cases.

• The need for environmental law
• The extent of environmental protection laws

• Effectiveness of environmental law
• Sustainability of resource use
• Balancing economy and environment

• Role of lobby and interest groups
• Applying environmental law to cases

Unit 8: Unit 8: Consumer Law

Why consumer protection is needed, the protections legislation provides, conditions and warranties, and remedies for buyers and sellers.

• Why consumer protection is needed
• Protection provided by legislation
• Conditions and warranties
• Remedies for buyer and seller

Unit 9: Unit 9: Aboriginal Peoples and Law

Status and non-Status under the Indian Act, the Charter and Bill C-31, Aboriginal and Treaty Rights in the New Brunswick context, Aboriginal self-government, and Indigenous models of governance.

• Status and non-Status Indians under the Indian Act
• Rights of Status and non-Status Indians
• The Charter and Bill C-31

• Aboriginal Rights and Treaty Rights
• Aboriginal self-government
• Aboriginal vs parliamentary models of government

Unit 10: Unit 10: International Law

The nature of international law and how it is made, examples and their effectiveness, and applying international law to current issues.

• The nature of international law
• Examples of international law
• Applying international law to current issues

Unit 11: Unit 11: Labour Law

Rights and responsibilities in employment, employment contracts, federal and provincial labour legislation, unions, and collective bargaining.

• Rights and responsibilities in employment
• Elements of employment contracts
• Federal and provincial labour legislation

• Formation and role of unions
• Collective bargaining

Unit 12: Unit 12: Youth and the Law

Changing attitudes toward young offenders, youth-justice legislation over time, the special rights and protections of young offenders, the rationale for differential treatment, and resources for young victims.

• Changing attitudes toward young offenders
• Youth justice legislation over time

• Special rights and protections for young offenders
• Treatment of adult and young offenders
• Why special provisions for young offenders
• Validity of treating youth differently

• Resources for young victims

Unit 13: Unit 13: Human Rights

The need to protect human rights, the major human-rights documents (UDHR, Bill of Rights, Charter, Human Rights Acts), rights and responsibilities under them, filing complaints, remedies, and effectiveness.

• Protecting human rights nationally and internationally
• The UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights
• The Canadian Bill of Rights
• The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
• The Canadian and NB Human Rights Acts

• Rights under human-rights documents
• Filing a human-rights complaint
• Remedies under human-rights law
• Effectiveness of human-rights legislation

Unit 14: Unit 14: Property Law

The purchase and sale of real property, the rights and responsibilities and limits of ownership, landlord and tenant relations, types of leases, and classes of tenancies.

• Purchase and sale of real property
• Rights and responsibilities of property owners
• Limits on property ownership

• Rights and responsibilities of landlord and tenant
• Types of leases
• Classes of tenancies