LAW 201 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Legal Culture, Critical Race Theory, Distributive Justice
LAW 201: Introduction to Canadian Law
Chapter 1 Notes
Term: Summer 2018
Course offered by:
Faculty of Law
Queen’s University
Compilation date: May 9, 2018
Notes compiled by:
Tom (Ke Jun) Sung
B.A.Sc. Candidate
Queen’s University
Source:
John Fairlie & Philip Sworden, Introduction to Law in Canada, Toronto: Emond Montgomery
Publications Limited, 2014.
Disclaimer:
The material in this document is taken from the mentioned source and should be used for
reference only. The document compiler cannot assure 100% accuracy as there may be errors
present in this document. The mentioned source should be used if there is any doubt on
information accuracy.
In addition, without permission from the owners (direct or indirect), the material in this
document cannot be reproduced. Thank you for your cooperation.
LAW 201: Chapter 1
Table of Contents
How Law is Commonly Defined .................................................................................................. 1
Types of Rules .................................................................................................................................... 1
Structure of Rules ............................................................................................................................... 1
How Law Relates to Other Rules ................................................................................................ 1
Law, Morality, Ethics .......................................................................................................................... 1
Law and Justice .................................................................................................................................. 2
Law and Religion ................................................................................................................................ 3
Theories of Law: “Ought” and “Is” ............................................................................................. 3
Natural Law Theory ............................................................................................................................ 3
Legal Positivism .................................................................................................................................. 4
Legal Realism ...................................................................................................................................... 5
Other Legal Theories .......................................................................................................................... 5
Rule of Law ................................................................................................................................ 6
Origin ................................................................................................................................................. 6
Basic Principles ................................................................................................................................... 6
Rule of Law in the International Context ............................................................................................ 7
Divisions of Law ......................................................................................................................... 7
Legal Terminology...................................................................................................................... 8
Appendix: Key Terms .................................................................................................................. 9
Compiled by: Tom (Ke Jun) Sung
1
Chapter 1: What Is Law?
How Law is Commonly Defined
• Law: A system of enforceable rules that governs the relationship between the individual
members of a society and between those members and the society itself
• Many definitions of law (above definition used in this textbook)
• Law allows us to live safely and balance needs of individual with needs of community
Types of Rules
• 3 types
o General norms or standards of behaviour
§ E.g. prohibits activities like murder/careless driving
o Condition rules
§ Establishes requirements that must be met before activities can be
carried out
§ E.g. licensing for businesses, driver’s license
o Power-conferring rules
§ Allows people to define their own legal relationship within certain
contexts
§ E.g. terms and conditions
Structure of Rules
• Form of rules is relatively standard: If A, B, and/or C, then X
• A, B, C: elements/conditions that must be present for the legal result (X) to occur
• Elements joined by “and”: conjunctive list (legal result needs all elements)
• Elements joined by “or”: disjunctive list (legal result needs only one element)
• Can also be hybrid list: a mix of conjunctive and disjunctive
• To succeed in a claim (to obtain a legal result), all required elements/sub-elements must
be established (See two examples on pg.5 on crime of murder and vehicle accident case)
How Law Relates to Other Rules
• Enforceability distinguishes law from other rules
o Occurs by way of state-sanctioned mechanisms or institutions (police force,
regulatory agencies, court systems)
• State does not enforce anything not recognized as law
Law, Morality, Ethics
• Morality: System of values concerning what is right or wrong with respect to human
behaviour
Document Summary
John fairlie & philip sworden, introduction to law in canada, toronto: emond montgomery. The material in this document is taken from the mentioned source and should be used for reference only. The document compiler cannot assure 100% accuracy as there may be errors present in this document. The mentioned source should be used if there is any doubt on information accuracy. In addition, without permission from the owners (direct or indirect), the material in this document cannot be reproduced. How law relates to other rules 1. Theories of law: ought and is 3. Rule of law in the international context 7. Types of rules: 3 types, general norms or standards of behaviour. E. g. prohibits activities like murder/careless driving: condition rules. Establishes requirements that must be met before activities can be carried out. E. g. licensing for businesses, driver"s license: power-conferring rules. Allows people to define their own legal relationship within certain contexts.
