The following methods of instruction will be used:
- Lectures
- Class discussions
1. In the Womb and Birth
- Legal status of the fetus
2. Childhood and Relationships Early in Life
- Legal rights of the child
- Parental rights in relation to the child
- Parental responsibilities toward the child
- Role of others in relation to the child: alternative guardians including the state
3. Teens and Early Adulthood: Sexual Relationships and Exploring Sexuality
- Exploring sexuality
- Pornography
- Age of consent
- Sexual assault
- Indecent acts
- Public nudity
- Sexual Relationships
- Other sexual conduct
4. Adulthood: Different Sexual and Romantic Relationships, Marriage and Marriage-Like Relationships
- Different sexual relationships
- Multiple partners
- Prostitution
- Limits of consent
- Polyamory
- Marriage and Marriage-Like Relationships
- “Common law” relationships
- Marriage – historical definition, reform and current definition
- Polygamy
- Divorce
- Support (spousal and child)
- Division of assets
- Child custody and access
- Remarriage or entering a new marriage-like relationship
- Legal implications of past relationships for new relationships
5. Later in Life: Support of the Elderly and Reaching Beyond the Grave
- Parental support, incapacity and adult guardianship
- Wills and Estates
At the conclusion of this course the successful student will be able to:
- Describe the legal status of the fetus in both criminal and civil law, and the legal debate surrounding the rights of the fetus.
- Describe the legal rights of the child in relation to specific legal contexts such as medical decisions, contracts, criminal liability and age of sexual consent.
- Describe the legal rights and responsibilities of parents in relation to the child in specific legal contexts such as medical decisions, educational decisions, religious instruction, and the discipline of children.
- Identify other forms of guardianship of a child and describe the legal basis for these forms of guardianship.
- Describe the law of pornography and explain how it has been shaped by public policy concerns about the impact of pornography on sexual conduct.
- Describe the law of sexual assault with particular consideration of the concept of consent, and explain how the law of sexual assault has evolved to take into account changing societal values.
- Identify other forms of sexual conduct that have been proscribed by law and describe how they have been proscribed.
- Describe how the law treats different adult sexual relationships, including multiple partners and prostitution.
- Identify different marriage and marriage-like relationships and describe how the law treats those relationships.
- Describe the evolution of marriage as a legal relationship.
- Describe and explain the legal status of alternative marriage or marriage-like relationships such as polygamy and polyamory.
- Describe and explain the legal consequences of relationship breakdown, with reference to spousal support, division of assets, child support, child custody and access.
- Describe how the law treats legal incapacity in adulthood with specific reference to legal guardianship.
- Identify and describe the basic requirements of a legally valid will.
- Identify and describe some different legal options a person has to dispose of their property upon death.
- Describe the legal obligations a person may have to provide for family members in their will.
- Read statute and case law critically and with good comprehension.
- Apply the legal principles covered in the course to real and hypothetical legal problems.
Evaluation will be based upon the course objectives and will be carried out in accordance with Douglas College policies. The instructor will provide a written course outline with specific evaluation criteria at the beginning fo the course. Evaluation will be based upon the following:
- Exams
- Research paper or other written assignment
- Class attendance and participation
An example of one possible evaluation scheme would be:
| Class attendance and participation | 10% |
| Midterm exam | 30% |
| Research paper | 30% |
| Final exam | 30% |
| Total | 100% |
Textbooks and Materials to be Purchased by Students:
The reading materials for this class will consist exclusively of relevant case law and legislation. These can be accessed by students online at no cost through a combination of free court, legislative assembly and government websites, or through online subscription services such as Quicklaw which are accessible to students at no cost through the college library.