Class Actions Law and Practice (LAW401H1S)

Anti-requisites: students who have taken either Class Actions Law or Class Actions Practice may not take this course.

The advent of class actions in Canada has radically altered the practice of law. This regime has provided redress for plaintiffs who would otherwise be unable to access the courts. It has also made governments, businesses and organizations much more aware of their obligations and potential liabilities to employees, consumers, and other members of the public. In short, class actions have brought mass justice to the forefront of the legal agenda.

We take the view that it is vitally important to understand both the practice of class actions and their underlying policy rationales. As such, our class is intended for a broad audience, including aspiring litigators, transactional lawyers, activists, business people, policymakers, and academics. This class will present the theory and practice of class actions in an interactive format. Through discussion, debate, and dialogue with the faculty and a wide array of guest speakers, members of the class will learn to make the most of the exciting developments in this dynamic field of law.

This class will be divided into two parts. The first part will be devoted to an examination of the principles of class action law and procedure. The second part of the class will be structured around the areas of law most commonly dealt with in the actual practice of class actions: securities, price fixing, product liability, public law/government liability, environmental, and employment law. Throughout the class, there will be guest speakers—primarily prominent judges and leading counsel—who will give us a first-hand view of class action litigation.