Introductory Business Law

The successful student will be able to:

• describe the structure of the Canadian legal system;
• identify the basic principles of common law and statute law that apply to most business situations. Although the course is not designed to make the student a lawyer, it will provide the student with sufficient background and sophistication to understand circumstances that require a lawyer;
• recognize the main aspects of the Canadian judicial system including the sources of law, the levels and roles of courts in the judicial system, and the basic elements of the court process;
• set out the difference between common law, statute law, administrative law, and criminal law;
• explain the methods by which legal precedents are established and applied;
• demonstrate in-depth knowledge of the law of contracts, its principles and application to various business situations;
• describe the basic principles of tort law and identify many of the important common law torts, especially torts that arise in the business context;
• summarize the different interests relating to real property;
• identify the different forms of business organizations and the benefits and drawbacks associated with each type; and
• relate legal principles to economic, political and social situations that may arise in the business world.