DAY 74 - A Civil Action Film Project

Here is the Civil Action film project.

DAY 72 - TORTS and Negligence

Presentation -  Introduction to Torts and Negligence and below are the highlights:

TORTS/PERSONAL INJURY – OVERVIEW

The word “Tort” comes from the French world for “Wrong.”  The primary aim of tort law is to provide relief for damages incurred and deter others from committing the same harms.
 
Torts are civil wrongs that result in an injury or harm and constitute the basis for a claim and lawsuit by the injured party.
 
The types of damages the injured party may recover are:

• loss of earning capacity
• pain and suffering
• reasonable medical expenses

 
Specific torts include acts such as:

• Trespass
• Assault
• Battery
• Negligence
• Producing faulty products
• Intentional infliction of emotional distress
• Defamation of character

 
Tort law determines when the person who causes the harm must pay compensation to the person who suffers it.  Personal injury law encompasses all types of physical and psychological injuries such as injuries arising from:

• motor vehicle accidents
• occupier's liability claims
• public liability claims
• negligence of school boards
• product liability claims
• catastrophic loss claims such as accidents resulting in paraplegia.

 
The Tort of Negligence is when harm occurs as a result of an individual, who is under a duty, fails to meet a standard of care imposed by that duty through an act or omission.
 
In general terms, Intentional Torts are any intentional acts that are reasonably foreseeable to cause harm to an individual and do so.
 
 

ELEMENTS OF THE TORT OF NEGLIGENCE

 1. NEGLIGENCE

Insufficient care; what a reasonable person should have done to protect the plaintiff

2. CAUSATION

Negligence must in fact be a cause of the damages complained of

3. DAMAGES

Actual loss or damage of a type recognized by law (usually a monetary loss)

4. DUTY OF CARE

An obligation by defendant to exercise sufficient care towards the plaintiff

5. STANDARD OF CARE

It is appropriate to hold the defendant liable based upon their expected standard of care owed to the plaintiff

 

ELEMENTS OF AN INTENTIONAL TORT

 

1.  INTENTIONAL TORT

The action resulting in the harm was intentional or voluntary

2. INJURY

The action must have caused harm or injury to the plaintiff

3. CAUSATION

The Tort was in fact the cause of the harm or injury

4. DAMAGES

The injury caused harm that can be rectified by (usually) a monetary payment to return the plaintiff to their position before the injury.

DAY 67 Test Review

Your test on WEDNESDAY will be on Criminal Law and it will be similar to your last test (Criminal Law).

Chapter 4
Criminal Law deals with offenses against society.  That's why the charge will always be R. vs. Smith (e.g.), the "R." stands for "Regina", or "The Queen".

Criminal Law seeks to punish and rehabilitate offenders, keeps the peace, protects people and property.

Criminal Law is the federal government's responsibility.

Some activities, like drinking in public, traffic violations, etc. can be municipal or provincial matters but they are not criminalized.

Summary Conviction offenses are minor criminal offenses (called "misdemeanors in the USA).

Indictable offenses are the more serious offenses (called "felony" crimes in the USA).

Hybrid offenses can be charged as either summary or indictable.

The Crown must prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

Actus reus (the criminal action) and Mens Rea (the criminal intent, guilty mind) must BOTH be proven against an accused to get a conviction.

The Superior Court of each province has a trial division and appeal division for important criminal cases.  The courthouse in Toronto that we visited is the Superior Court of Ontario.

The Supreme Court of Canada hears appeals on points of law, whether our existing laws adhere to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.  They will also have a final say on points of law from appeals courts from across the country.

Overall Main Points of Chapter 4:
1. What is a crime and how is it dealt with in Canadian Society?
A Crime is an action that:
   a. is considered against the values of Canadian Society.
   b. causes harm to people or property.
   c. the harm caused is serious in nature and degree.
   d. using the criminal justice system against the perpetrators will help deter them (and others) from repeating similar actions.

2. Explain the types of criminal offenses.

Summary, Indictable, Hybrid. please explain each.

3. Distinguish between actus reus and mens rea using examples.

You should have a look at the cases in the chapter and at the review (pp. 142-143) for some interesting ideas and cases.

Chapter 5

The Police are there to serve and protect the public by enforcing the law, especially the Criminal Code.

To arrest someone, the police must have reasonable and probable grounds.

The police can use as much force as is necessary to prevent an escape.

The police must advise those under arrest of their rights - listed in the Charter s. 11.  For example, you do not have the right to remain silent in Canada (you may have seen that on American crime shows).

Police must get a search warrant to search private residences.

The main points of Chapter 5 are:

1. What makes an arrest legal?

2. What are the legal rights of the person under arrest?

3. What are the powers of the police to perform legal searches?

Also check the review of the chapter (pp 178-179) and the cases in the chapter.

Chapter 6.

The adversarial system is our system of trial (means that there are two opposing sides, each having the opposite goal - to prove guilty or to prove innocent.

The Crown represents society and they must prove the accused guilty of the offense.

The jury's job is to convict or to acquit based on evidence presented in court.

Both the Crown and the Defense have the opportunity to present witnesses and to question the other side's witnesses.

The judge determines the admissibility of evidence.  The judge also ensures a fair trial for the accused.

The main points of this chapter include:

1. What types of evidence can be accepted in Canadian Courts?

2. Describe our jury selection process.

Also, check the review of the chapter (pp. 214 - 215) for other highlights, and check the chapter cases.

Chapter 7

Describe the various types of homicide in Canada. 

1st Degree, 2nd Degree, Manslaughter, Infanticide, Negligent Homicide (these are all "culpable" homicides, meaning that there is blame attached, they are not strictly accidents).

There are three categories of assault and sexual assault in Canada, depending upon the severity of the attack.

Arson is the intentional causing of damage by fire.

Identity theft is on the rise and harms thousands each year in Canada.

Fraud is intentionally misleading others for a financial gain.

Weapons are either non-restricted, restricted, or prohibited.

Prostitution is legal in Canada but soliciting and other activities surrounding prostitution are illegal.

Drug laws are in the Criminal Code in the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

Impaired Driving is the main criminal cause of death in Canada.

The main points of the chapter are:

1. What are some examples of crimes of violence (against people)?

2. What are some examples of crimes against property?

Check out the Apply Your Learning Section of the Chapter review (p. 260).

Also check the rest of the review and the chapter cases.

Chapter 8

Defenses are the accused's response to the criminal charge.

The Best Defense is an Alibi - proof that the accused was at a different location and could not possibly have committed the crime.

There is a long list of possible defenses to crimes - please review them.

The defense of self defense is acceptable in Canada - a person can use as much force as is necessary to stop the immediate threat against them.

Prolonged abuse is an acceptable defense in Canada.

Please check the chapter review and your notes for more examples of defenses and some good case examples.

Chapter 10 - Youth Criminal Justice Act

April, 2003 (YCJA) - it replaced the Young Offenders Act.

It's part of the criminal code and deals with how we handle youth from the ages of 12 - 17. 

A Child of 11 years or younger is considered too young to be dealt with in the criminal justice system.

The YCJA expands the role of rehabilitation services for youths.

Youths have the same rights as adults under the Charter.  Youths have additional rights under the YCJA. 

Programs of extrajudicial measures and sanctions are designed to deal with youth outside the court system. 

The Supreme Court decided that reasonable grounds must exist before using sniffer dogs in school searches. 

Youths age 14 and up will be tried as adults for serious crimes but they'll be tried in Youth Justice Court.

The names of youths are not to be published.  However, youths aged 14 - 17 who have already been convicted of a serious crime will have their names published.

Sentencing of youth to jail time is a last resort. 

Main points of the YCJA - 

Explain the legal rights of youths upon arrest.

Do you think extrajudicial sanctions and measure are effective?

Outline the sentencing options for judges . . . .

Also, please look at the cases in the chapter and the other review information, pp. 354-355.


Chapter 9 - From Sentencing to Release
Both the Crown and defense can make submissions for sentencing.

Judges use a wide variety of information about the criminal, the crime, and victims when sentencing.

The objectives of sentencing are:
  - hold offenders responsible
  - punish the offender
  - consider victims' needs and concerns
  - impose appropriate measures emphasizing rehabilitation of the criminal
  - protect society
  - to deter the criminal from re-offending  (specific deterrence)
  - to deter the general public from committing similar acts (general deterrence)

Please refer to the rest of the review, pp. 324-325 and refer to the cases in the chapter.

DAY 66 - Questions for Officer Mike for Monday

Questions for Community Officer Mike O’Halloran

1.    Have you ever been involved in a murder case and what was it like?  Does it resemble, in any ways, what we see on TV or in the movies.

2.    What are the most interesting motives for crimes that you’ve come across?

3.    How big a burden is it to appear in court for relatively minor traffic offenses that people try to fight?

4.    Have you ever had to pull your gun on anyone?  What about other people you work with?

5.    How do you handle deciding at what point you start using force?  Does negotiating work?

6.    Have you ever been tasered as part of training?  Tell us about tasers.

7.    Have you ever been injured on the job by interacting with the public?

8.    What is the most emotionally distressful case you’ve had?

9.    How stressful is your job and how do you cope with that stress?

10.  Have you ever committed a crime before?  And if someone has committed a crime, can they still become a police officer?

11.  Have you ever handled a case in a way that you regret?

12.  Please tell us about the level of intensity in the training to become a police officer?

13.  Please tell us about the rules of the road regarding cell phone use and how the police use the computer equipment in their cars?

14.  Why did you become a police officer?

15.  Do you ever work in undercover work?  What’s it like?

16.  Have you ever had to deal with a hate crime?

17.  Have you ever been in a life-threatening situation?

18.  How often do the police pull over another police officer, perhaps one who is off-duty?

19.  What’s the worst call you’ve ever had to respond to?

20.  Under what circumstances can you ask to look in our backpacks?

21.  How do people treat you differently because you are a law enforcement officer.

22.  What does it mean to be “on-call” in your line of work.  Do you work shifts?

23.  Does criminal activity follow any patterns in the seasons, holidays, days of the week etc.?

24.  Have you ever had your evidence thrown out thus destroying your case?

25.  What are the rules around using or pulling out your weapon?

26.  What's your role at Acton HS?

27.  If there was one law you could change, which one would it be?

28.  Are the police tested for drugs?

29.  Have you ever been involved in a chase, either on foot or in a car?

30.  Do you get asked for advice and opinions on peoples’ activities from friends and family?

31.  Please tell us about the circumstances surrounding the youngest person you have had to arrest.

32.  What is the career trajectory for joining: RCMP; CSIS; SWAT; Canine Unit, etc.