Course Syllabus

• Communications (from and with me)
• Course materials (open coursebook)
• Class meetings (weekly format, hybrid)
• Evaluation (8-hour take-home)
• Office hours (Mondays 12:30-1:30PM)

Brightspace

• All class e-mails posted via Brightspace announcements
• Enable announcement alerts to email

Email

Course materials

• Coursebook: property.opensourcelaw.ca
• Supplemental readings on Brightspace

Class meetings

• Weekly reading assignments
• Focus on problem-solving
• Hybrid format

Evaluation

• 8-hour take-home exams
• December fail-safe

Office Hours

• Mondays 12:30-1:30PM
• See procedure in Course Syllabus

Course Structure 🏗️

• Problem-based learning: course materials and class meetings are organized around weekly problems.

• Hypertext: course materials are linked to create multiple learning pathways that help us situate legal doctrine in historical context.

Steps Each Week

1. Review the weekly lesson: assignment dates are tagged to each entry in the Lessons section; learning objectives

2. Read the weekly problem: linked at the bottom of each weekly lesson and available in the Problems section

3. Select one of the reading materials to start your analysis of the problem.

4. Follow the “Reading Links” (right menu) until you have completed the weekly reading list.

5. Complete the problem and bring your answer to class.

Week 1 Problem: Protest @ Dal 🏛️

What questions, raised by these facts, need to be answered to figure out whether the University’s claim will be successful?

Where did you start?

• Cttee for the Commonwealth of Canada v Canada

• Harrison v Carswell

• Protection of Property Act

Two key questions from last day:

• Is Dalhousie’s land “public” property? How do we know? Why does this matter? (Cttee Commonwealth)

• Is Dalhousie in “possession” of the premises? How do we know? Why does this matter? (PPA)

Exercise

Draw a simple flow chart that shows how our two key questions might fit together in a framework you can use to analyze whether or not Dalhousie’s claim will be successful.

A possible framework…

Other questions:

• What kind of legal entity is Dalhousie (e.g. private owner, arm of government)?

• Were some of the protests not peaceful (e.g. violent)?

• [Others?]

Competing Arguments

Why do the judges in Harrison v Carswell reach different outcomes?

Who benefits from these different outcomes and the reasons used to justify them?