What happened today?

• EXCITING DAY: Everyone got their copy of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms!  Everyone got a paper copy.  It is also linked in the Home Page of Teams as well as on the Blog in the top-right corner under “Links.” 🙂
• Looked at which rights were most important to us and why.
• <3 Section 8 <3
• The Notwithstanding Clause.

What happened today?

• Going over questions from yesterday’s reading.
• Lesson on Patriating the Constitution in 1982: an absolute game-changer for all Canadian law.
• Two cases: R. v. Trinneer and R. v. Vaillancourt.
• Assignment to affirm understanding of this integral concept for foundational understanding of Law.  Due at the end of class.

IF YOU WERE ABSENT: There is no way to make this up outside of class.  It is an in-person lesson only.  The entire course of Law 12 is based on the concept that was taught today.  You must make up this lesson in person outside of class (e.g. ESS) in order to succeed in the course.  

HOMEWORK – BLOCK 5 ONLY:
(ALWAYS REMEMBER TO CLICK YOUR CLASS AS BLOCK 4 HAD DIFFERENT EXPECTATIONS)

Homework Assignment – Respond to the Following:

1. How the Constitution Act, 1982 and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms was a game-changer in Canadian Law.
2. How the cases would have differed regarding the Bill of Rights used previously.
3. How the hierarchy of law (pyramid we drew) has changed because of who interprets the Charter.

Should be in your own words and you should add the “Why does it matter?” factor.  No “I” statements.  Remember this is more about processing the information and showing your understanding while it is fresh in your minds.

Due to Teams by 11:59pm tonight, 13 February 2024.

Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau and Queen Elizabeth II signing the Constitution Act, 1982.

What happened today?

• Started constitutional law.  Today, you will be building a foundation to your understanding.  You are reading and annotating.  Your notes are due at the end of class.  As you will see below, there are also very specific elements you need to address/infer/define below within your notes in some capacity that works for you.
• IMPORTANT: This is the most important concept you will learn in Law 12.  This is the backbone of the entire course – if you do not understand this, you cannot succeed in the rest of the course.  Now, this should not scare you; it should do the opposite it.  It means that Ms. Hopkin is fully aware of this, so part of your annotation today should be pointedly include:
  • Highlighting aspects where you are feeling less confident or unclear.
  • Writing down questions to ask to help clarify.
  • Recognizing it is okay if you do not know something.  Just make note of it so we can go over it together as a class when Ms. Hopkin is back.  There is always a Team effort in place and a long term game-plan over multiple days for Ms. Hopkin to support you in this because of its importance. You will feel confident in this topic in no time.  🙂
• Other than today, this will be the only lesson that has readings.  Due to the complex nature of this topic, all other lessons will be in person only.  These are the most important lessons of the course and it is imperative you are present.  Reviewing a classmate’s notes is not sufficient.  Any and all classes missed within this unit must be made up in ESS in person (other than today’s) – no exceptions.

Reading:

• Law in Action Chapter 3 pp. 65, 71-74.
• Law in Action Chapter 4 pp. 94-99.  Start with “Evolution of Rights in Canada.”
• As always, DO NOT read the cases unless specifically instructed to.  They typically have an orange-beige background.  Please skip those and just read the portion of the book on the noted pages with the white background. 🙂

Elements You Need to Define Within Your Notes

This can be done separately, or embedded within.  Please highlight them in some way if you embed so Ms. Hopkin can ensure she finds your hard work.

1. Identify at least three problems associated with the British North America Act, 1867.
2. What is the most important different between the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Bill of Rights?

Due to Teams by the end of class.

Assignment:

• Reviewed strategies for annotation (note-taking) in contexts.  Should be in your own words!
• Ensure you screen shot and cite the diagrams, especially passing a bill into law and the three readings.
• Reviewed Political Spectrum Assignment from yesterday.

Reading:

• Law in Action Chapter 3 pp. 66-69, 76-80, 82 (do not read “The Role of Individuals and Interest Groups,” or beyond that).

Optional Preparation for Tomorrow:

• Not required, as you could do it in your prep time (but you will likely be busy during Prep Time) you can review the “platforms” (promises made by political parties if elected) of the four big federal parties in Canada.  In alphabetical order, they are:
  • Conservative Party
  • Green Party
  • Liberal Party
  • New Democratic Party (NDP)

What happened today?

• Reviewed “answers” from yesterday’s Category of Law Assignment, if able.  If not, will do it when everyone has submitted assignment.
• Introduced Government and Statute Law Unit.
• Reviewed the Concept of the Political Spectrum – some review from Grade 10, but should mostly be a more advanced level.
• Assignment: Write a reflection evaluating where you think you are on the political spectrum and why, using Right/Centre/Left, and not political parties.  A reflection requires “I” statements and you can explore ideas and ask questions in a different way to other formal writing.  You should use examples of perspectives on laws as well as laws you would like to see made, or even opinions on current legislation throughout to explore, evaluate, and give evidence for your position.  Due to Teams by the end of class.

What happened today?

• Categories of Law Assignment.  (Not hierarchy of laws).
  • Hierarchy of Laws: Constitutional, Statute, Common.
  • Constitutional is also a Category of Law.
• Put in groups and given seven news articles from the Lower Mainland area.  If you were absent, you were assigned a group in Teams to work with.  As a group, go through each article and discuss.  Decide which Categories of Law apply and, most importantly, defend how you know it is applicable.  In Law, the argument is significantly more important than the “answer.”  Point-form is fine.  One file uploaded per group.  Due to Teams by the end of class.
  • Please speak to Ms. Hopkin before doing this as you might need to collaborate with someone from a different block than the one you are in.
  • Do not use “Public” or “Private” law.  Be more specific e.g. Criminal, Torts.

What happened today?

• Hierarchy of Laws: Constitutional, Statute, and Common Law.
• Lesson on Categories of Law.
• If absent, need to read the entirety of Chapter 2 to cover what was verbally covered in today’s lesson.  Be prepared to specifically apply the terminology, specifically the Categories of Law (e.g. Chapter 2 p. 54 Figure 2.11) practically in class tomorrow.

Hierarchy of Laws

What happened today?

• Writing and Formatting Lesson.
• Files –> Class Materials –> Writing and Formatting –> Basic Formatting Requirements Tutorial (video).
• Significant reminders, examples, and information available to you here on the Blog as well as on Teams.
• Overall citation lesson.  We will be using APA.
• Case names and case citations.  Includes:
  • How to tell if a case is criminal versus civil.
  • Italics.
  • What the R stands for.
• Assignment (paper only): How to evaluate a full case citation.  Due at the end of class.
  • Law in Action (textbook) Introduction pp. 4-6.

What happened today?

• The Rule of Law.
• Law and Morality.
• Law and Justice.
• Case Study: R. v. Dudley and Stephens.
• YOU WILL GET 15-20 MINUTES AT THE START OF CLASS TOMORROW, 1 FEBRUARY 2024 TO CONTINUE WORKING ON THIS.
• Please Note: You did not get a ton of time to work on this.  Your teacher knows.  You will be assessed accordingly.  Do.  Not.  Overthink.  It.

R. v. Dudley and Stephens Assignment

• Ensure you comment on The Rule of Law, Morality and the Law.
  • The Rule of Law.
  • Morality and the Law.
  • Law and Justice.
• Come up with your own definition of what “justice” means to you.
• 3 minutes in length.  You will be timed: if you are less than two minutes, you will be asked to continue talking until you have reached at least 2 and a half minutes.  If you go over three minutes, you will be cut off.  The purpose of the class time is so you are able to practice timing yourself, and working within restrictions is an important skill! 🙂
• Weigh the balance of law and morality in this case.  Use evidence, only from the case, to identify what your verdict would be.  Follow up with evidence and logic. 
• No outside research allowed.  You can only use what is in the case (handout only)!  Any outside research results in an assessment of not meeting expectations.  This is not a research assignment, this is an assignment testing your ability to use only the evidence of the case to think critically and make a valid and supported argument.  In Law, you can only use the evidence provided for you, you cannot use outside sources!
• DON’T SUMMARIZE THE CASE IN YOUR PRESENTATION.  We all know it, we read it to do this. DO NOT REPEAT WHAT WE ALREADY KNOW.
• Remember that Law is a skill-based subject.  We are NEVER looking for you to repeat what was in the textbook, nor in a lesson.  The expectation is YOU analyze the case using YOUR ideas/arguments.
• Apply your definition of justice to this case.  To what extent does it apply here?  Was justice fulfilled based on your definition?
• Due tomorrow, 1 February 2024 twenty minutes into class (Block 4: 12:45pm.  Block 5: 2:10pm).
• Remember it is NOT A PRESENTATION IN FRONT OF THE CLASS.  You just need to prepare it like one in order to do the activity.  Think about it more like you are preparing for a conversation!  If that helps alleviate the overthinking.
• No scripts allowed.  
• Cue cards provided.
• You will have 20 minutes at the start of class to prepare..  🙂
• The only thing you need for this “presentation” is YOU and your one cue card.  No phones, no PPTs, literally just you in a chair saying words.  Don’t overthink it!

Though not required, the reading covering the spoken lesson on the Rule of Law today is in Law in Action:

• Chapter 1 p. 14 second paragraph under “The Need for Law.”
• Optional Additional Reading (again, NOT REQUIRED)
  • Chapter 1 p. 14 “The Need for Law.”
  • Chapter 1 p. 16 “Law and Morality.”
  • Chapter 1 p. 17 “Law and Justice.”  (Ignore the case).

Welcome to Law!  I’m so excited to learn with you!!!

Please always ensure you have clicked on the Law 12 (5) tab when on The Blog.  I am teaching two blocks of Law and sometimes we do not do the same thing, and you do not want to accidentally be doing the incorrect assignments!  You also do not want to accidentally do a Social Studies 10 assignment instead (yes, it’s happened).

As a test, each class has the title today with their block in it and I am giving each post a different image.  Please check and ensure you are on the tab filtered with only your class’ information!

The Blog is something you should be checking every single day, so it is strongly encouraged you save it to your favourites in your browser for easy access!

We will use this space for:

• Summary of what happened each day.
• Links or directions to resources.
• Assignment outlines.
• All the information you need if you are sick to complete your work.
• Resources like formatting and writing requirements.
• Probably more, but I forgot!  But, that’s okay since you check this every, single day.

What happened today?

1. Welcome to the class, and why you chose to take this course.
2. Distribute and go over course outline.  Extra copies in back of classroom (handouts box, shown in person) and also available in Teams under Files and “Course Materials.”
3. Introduction to the Blog, Teams, and where to find things in the classroom.
4. Should time permit, we may also start assigning and distributing textbooks (again, if time does not permit, this will happen the in the following days.
5. Possibly review basic formatting requirements.
6. Please complete the Printing Preferences survey if you have not yet done so!

This week you will be added to the Microsoft Team (if you have not been already).  If you have not been added to the Team by Friday, 2 February 2024, please tell Ms. Hopkin in person ASAP and let her know (check course outline and/or contact info section of Blog). 

You will also be added to a private channel.  It will have your first name or the name you prefer to be called.  You will likely not have a private channel until Friday, 9 February 2024 at the earliest.  If you do not have a private channel by Tuesday, 13 February 202r or Ms. Hopkin tells you verbally in class you should have a private channel and you do not have one, please tell her in person ASAP!