In the first part of
this course the class will examine the law of torts. When one person harms
another, either intentionally or carelessly, a tort has been committed and an
action can be brought seeking compensation for injuries suffered from the
person who committed the wrong. These private disputes are decided in the civil
courts. In this part of the course, we discuss the distinctions between
intentional and negligent torts, the defenses that the person being sued may
raise, and the conditions that must be met for the plaintiff to be awarded
compensation.
In the Contract law portion of this course the class will examine the principles of contract law that have been developed primarily by common law courts of England and Canada and the role contract law plays in Canadian society and its economy. The class will study how contracts are formed, what elements must be present to constitute a valid, enforceable agreement, what factors might affect the contractual relationship, how contracts come to an end, and what remedies are available to the innocent party where there is a breach of contractual terms.
This substantive law course sets a foundation for later substantive law courses such as Employment Law, and provides a knowledge base for later skills courses such as Client Care (Interviewing).