Summer 2023 - POL 324 D100
The Canadian Constitution (4)
Class Number: 3336
Delivery Method: In Person
Overview
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Course Times + Location:
May 8 – Aug 4, 2023: Tue, 1:30–5:20 p.m.
Burnaby -
Exam Times + Location:
Aug 13, 2023
Sun, 3:30–5:30 p.m.
Burnaby
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Instructor:
Andrew Heard
aheard@sfu.ca
1 778 782-3043
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Prerequisites:
Six lower division units in political science or permission of the department.
Description
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:
An analysis of the Canadian constitution from a theoretical and comparative perspective. Amendment, entrenchment, civil rights.
COURSE DETAILS:
COURSE DETAILS:
This course sheds light on the interplay between formal and informal constitutional rules, between law and politics. Students considering law school will benefit from this introduction to constitutional law, and others will gain insights into how Canada's constitution works in theory and practice. You will learn about the vast discretion judges have, the principles they use in their decisions, and the shifting interpretations they have given to Canada’s constitutional documents. The central focus will be on the division of responsibility for specific areas of public policy between the federal and provincial governments. The course will also explore constitutional conventions, the informal rules that dramatically modify how some of the formal rules operate in practice. You should take away from this course an appreciation of how intertwined politics and law are, both in the work of judges and in the rules governing Canada’s political actors.
COURSE ORGANIZATION:
Four-hour lecture per week for the first half of term, with a two-hour lecture and a two-hour tutorial in the second half.
Grading
- Mid-term exam 10%
- Term paper 45%
- Presentation 10%
- Attendance 5%
- Final exam 30%
NOTES:
* Students are required to submit written assignments to the Turnitin.com service in order to get credit.
Materials
REQUIRED READING:
P. Monahan, B. Shaw, & P. Ryan, Constitutional Law, 5th Edition. ISBN 9781552214411
REQUIRED READING NOTES:
Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.
Department Undergraduate Notes:
Registrar Notes:
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS
SFU’s Academic Integrity website http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.
Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the university community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the university. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the university. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html
RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION
Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the semester are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.