Public Law & Legislation (University of Ottawa CML 1104)

  • Craig Forcese (University of Ottawa Faculty of Law)

Introduction to legislation and public law, focusing on the structure of the Canadian legal system, including: sources of law, the federal legislative process and statutory interpretation; the legal system's constitutional basis; the organization of courts and tribunals in Canada and appeal processes; and the role of the courts in overseeing legislative and administrative action.

26 Practice 26 (Public Law) 26 Practice 26 (Public Law)

26.1 Practice 26 (Public Law) Description 26.1 Practice 26 (Public Law) Description

We focus on pre-exam review and exam writing skills.  I have posted a past exam here.  The answer key is now posted here.  (Please note that answers are expected to more ample than the shorthand in the answer key.  But also note than this past exam reflects the substance of the course as taught in that year -- and so in some instances, we spent more time in 2010 on matters that on which we spent more time this year, and vice versa.  So exams and expectations do vary.)

26.2 Public Law (Forcese) Extract: Exam Instructions 2015 26.2 Public Law (Forcese) Extract: Exam Instructions 2015

Public Law and Legislation Exam

CML 1104A / Dec. 14, 2015, 9 am

Forcese

This is a 2-hour exam. You may refer to any written materials of your choosing in writing this exam. You may not use any electronic device during this exam, other than the computer equipped with the Examsoft computerized exam software. There are 6 pages in this exam questionnaire.

Answer all questions in the exam booklets provided or on Examsoft, not on the exam questionnaire.

I have prepared a multi-stage fact pattern that asks you very specific questions (analogous to short answer questions) and then also broader questions that require you to do issue-spotting in the facts. In the result, this exam contains many issues. It is intended as a challenging exercise, with questions varying in their degree of difficulty.

In all circumstances, it is essential to focus on short, exact answers, not lengthy, discursive essay-like answers. Writing lots on a subset of questions and little or nothing on others will not help your grade – I do not give more marks because you write a small treatise on a question that can be answered succinctly. I also expect to understand your answers, so please use grammatical sentences.

Marks are assigned not only for spotting issues, applying the appropriate law and arriving at reasonable outcomes, but also for briefly defining legal terms and concepts, where appropriate.

Pay attention to the mark allocation for each question, and expend your time accordingly. On the assumption you will first spend 15 minutes to read the exam, I recommend the following time allocations:

Q1-8: 40 minutes (total)

Q9: 15 minutes

Q10: 20 minutes

Q11: 10 minutes

Q12: 20 minutes

Good luck!