Page 506 - THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 11 AND 12 | Canadian and World Studies

Grade 12, College Preparation
THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 11 AND 12 | Canadian and World Studies
D2. Legal Structures and Processes
FOCUS ON: Legal Significance; Interrelationships
By the end of this course, students will:
D2.1 describe various types of illegal activities in Canada and the legislation that governs them (e.g., theft – the Criminal Code of Canada; polluting – the Environmental Protection Act; illegal entry into Canada – the Immigration Act; unfair trade practices – the Consumer Protection Act; drug trafficking – the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act; child support non-payment – the Family Law Act; firing someone for legitimate union activities – Labour Relations Act)
Sample question: “What are the provisions of the Canada Business Corporations Act with respect to insider trading?”
D2.2 describe various types of procedures that may be used to resolve different types of disputes (e.g., union-management negotiations, consumer complaints, human rights complaints, benefits appeals, criminal acts) outside the official court system (e.g., mediation, arbitration, negotiation, sentencing circle, adjudication, tribunal hearing, ombudsman investigation)
Sample questions: “What are some of the benefits and disadvantages of conventional court senten- cing for the offender, the victim, the witnesses, the community, and the courts? What are some of the benefits and disadvantages of a sentencing circle for each of these participants?”
D2.3 analyse situations in which legal judgements balance the competing rights and interests of individuals, groups, and governments (e.g., Sharia law versus Canadian law; environmental protection interests versus resource-extraction interests; need for police surveillance and investigation versus privacy rights; rights of assembly and free speech versus need for public order; right to strike versus need for essential services; Aboriginal treaty rights versus provincial hunting and fishing regulations)
Sample questions: “Why are security certificates controversial?” “What are the current require- ments for allowing a police search of your personal technology devices?”
D3. Emerging Legal Issues
FOCUS ON: Continuity and Change; Legal Perspective
By the end of this course, students will:
D3.1 explain the legal implications of issues affect- ing specific demographic groups (e.g., First Nations, Métis, and Inuit groups: access to safe drinking water, land claims; racialized groups:
racial profiling in law enforcement; migrant workers: workplace safety and employment standards, access to legal aid; people with physical disabilities: need for physically accessible public buildings and other services; refugee claimants: access to legal identification, access to legal aid; English or French language learners: access to translators/interpreters when using legal services)
Sample questions: “Why is it important for people whose first language is neither English nor French to be provided with a translator
or interpreter during judicial proceedings or
a police investigation? What legal issues might arise as a result of the absence of a translator or interpreter?”
D3.2 explain the legal implications of issues related to public security and protection (e.g., use of surveillance technology; border security procedures; passport regulations; rights, responsibilities, and safety concerns of law officers and other security personnel; international travel regulations)
Sample questions: “How have specific events such as the 9/11 attacks changed laws and regu- lations related to security?” “What changes to security laws might be considered in the near future? Why?”
D3.3 describe the influence of new technologies on various law-related professions (e.g., technologies such as: wireless communications devices, voice- recognition software, trace evidence processing technology, encryption software for protection of personal information, law-enforcement tools such as tasers, DNA databases, surveillance technology, software for data collection and storage)
Sample questions: “How has the introduction of cellphone cameras challenged the justice system (e.g., in the Robert Dziekański case)?” “How have improvements in DNA testing affected police investigations of previously unsolved cases?” “What are the risks of relying on new scientific tests to determine legal guilt?”
D3.4 describe the legal implications of various recent international political events, humanitarian crises, and environmental issues (e.g., the Arab Spring or the Occupy movement – the legal justifi- cation for political activism and/or acts of civil disobedience; 9/11 – anti-terrorism legislation versus individual rights; genocides – the international community’s“duty to protect”versus principles
of national self-determination; climate change – international agreements versus national priorities)
Sample question: “What legal issues are raised when a government is considering whether to intervene in another country’s civil war?”
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