Droit et justice

Gain an understanding of why the law is as it is, its historical development, and its relationship to economic, social and political ideas and conditions. 

Law and Justice

The program in Law and Justice encourages a broad critical understanding of the nature, role, and function of our legal and judicial institutions.

The approach to your education clearly distinguishes us from law schools, whose mandate is to prepare students for the practice of law in accordance with guidelines established by the Law Society.

The program in Law and Justice is one of only a few in Canada in which one can study law as a complex human and social phenomenon. Students are encouraged to consider legal issues from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, both by the core faculty who all have interdisciplinary backgrounds, and through law-related courses in history, Indigenous studies, philosophy, political science, psychology, and sociology. The Ontario Ministry of Education recognizes law as a teachable subject.

Criminal Justice

The program in Criminal Justice is grounded in philosophical, historical and theoretical approaches to criminal justice. Students develop a critical understanding of the nature, role and function of our legal and judicial institutions and of the relationship between law and justice. In addition to courses about the criminal law and its applications, the program includes courses on public law, interpersonal dispute resolution, the nature of legal authority, theories of judicial decision-making, the dilemma of judges faced with immoral laws, and the world's most famous trials in their historical context.

The Law and Justice Program is one of only a few in Canada in which undergraduate students can study law as a complex human and social phenomenon. This provides students with a broader perspective and context than they may get from subsequent law related education or training. To paraphrase graduates, we seek to open their minds and broaden their horizons. Thus students are encouraged to consider legal issues from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, both by the core Law and Justice faculty who all have interdisciplinary backgrounds, and through the multidiscipinary course offerings, as students take law related courses from a variety of departments, including Indigenous Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology.

Graduates can rest assured knowing there is a multitude of career options they can explore post-graduation, some of which require further education. Career opportunities include, but are not limited to:

• Lawyer
• Graduate studies in a variety of disciplines
• Research
• Teaching
• Government careers
• Police
• Probation and parole
• Customs
• Insurance
• Human resources

Many of these careers can be found in the public and private sector.