38 Common Law
Common Law (CML)
Game-Day Gangsters: Crime and Deviance in Canadian Football∗ 
Curtis Fogel (Lakehead University-Orillia)
2013
Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 2.5 (Note: assigning sections is permitted, but adaptations are not allowed without permission)
In the complicated interaction between sport and law, much is revealed about the perception and understanding of consent and tolerable deviance. When a football player steps onto the field, what deviations from the rules of the game are considered acceptable? And what risks has the player already accepted by voluntarily participating in the sport? In the case of Canadian football, acts of on-field violence, hazing, and performance-enhancing drug use that would be considered criminal outside the context of sport are tolerated and even promoted by team and league administrators. The manner in which league review committees and the Canadian legal system understand such actions highlights the challenges faced by those looking to protect players from the dangers of the sport. Although there has been some discussion of legal and institutional reforms dealing with crime and deviance in Canadian sport, little exists in the way of sports law, with most cases falling into the legal categories of criminal, administrative, or civil law. In Game-Day Gangsters, Fogel argues for a review of the systems by which Canadian football is governed and analyzes the reforms proposed by football leagues and by players. Juxtaposing material from interviews with football players and administrators and from media files and legal cases, he explores the discrepancies between the players’ own experiences and the institutional handling of disciplinary matters in junior, university, and professional football leagues across the country. (Description from AU Press)
Formats: PDF and online (Manifold)
Suggested for:
CML 3340 Sports Law
Law and the “Sharing Economy” – Regulating Online Market Platforms∗
Edited by Derek McKee (Université de Sherbrooke), Finn Makela (Université de Sherbrooke), and Teresa Scassa (University of Ottawa)
2018
Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0
The rapid expansion of sharing economy platforms has generated enormous controversy. Law and the “Sharing Economy” closely examines the challenges that arise from this phenomenon with regard to labour, market, technology and regulation through a legal and interdisciplinary lens. The controversy stems partially from the economic impact—most acutely in certain sectors such as Uber vs taxi drivers and Airbnb vs hotels—and partially from other related consequences such as a trend toward precarious work or an impact on real estate speculation. While governments in some jurisdictions have attempted to rein in the platforms, technology has enabled such companies to bypass conventional regulatory categories, generating accusations of “unfair competition” as well as debates about the merits of existing regulatory regimes. (Description from UO Press)
Format: PDF
Suggested for:
CML 3358 Regulation of Internet Commerce
Law, Privacy and Surveillance in Canada in the Post-Snowden Era∗
Edited by Michael Geist (University of Ottawa)
2015
Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0
Years of surveillance-related leaks from US whistleblower Edward Snowden have fuelled an international debate over privacy, spying, and Internet surveillance. Much of the focus has centered on the role of the US National Security Agency, yet there is an important Canadian side to the story. The Communications Security Establishment, the Canadian counterpart to the NSA, has played an active role in surveillance activities both at home and abroad, raising a host of challenging legal and policy questions. With contributions by leading experts in the field, Law, Privacy and Surveillance in Canada in the Post-Snowden Era is the right book at the right time: From the effectiveness of accountability and oversight programs to the legal issues raised by metadata collection to the privacy challenges surrounding new technologies, this book explores current issues torn from the headlines with a uniquely Canadian perspective. (Description from UO Press)
Format: PDF
Suggested for:
CML 3305 Privacy Law
CML 3356 National Security Law
CML 3395 Regulation of Internet Communication
CML 4112 Interdisciplinary Studies in Law
The Law is (Not) for Kids: A Legal Rights Guide for Canadian Children and Teens∗
Ned Lecic and Marvin A. Zuker (University of Toronto)
2019
Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 (Note: assigning sections is permitted, but adaptations are not allowed without permission)
In this practical guide to the law for young people of Canada, Ned Lecic and Marvin Zuker provide an all-encompassing manual meant to empower and educate children and youth and those that serve them. The authors address questions about how rights and laws affect the lives of young people at home, at school, at work, and in their relationships as they draw attention to the many ways in which a person’s life can intersect with the law. Deliberately refraining from taking a moral approach, the authors instead advocate for the rights of children and provide examples of how young people can get their legal rights enforced. In addition to being critical information for youth about citizenship, The Law is (Not) for Kids is a valuable resource for teachers, counsellors, lawyers, and all those who support youth in their encounters with the law. (Description from AU Press)
Formats: PDF and online (Manifold)
Suggested for:
CML 3353 Children and the Law
Legal Literacy: An Introduction to Legal Studies∗
Archie Zariski
2016
Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 (Note: assigning sections is permitted, but adaptations are not allowed without permission)
To understand how the legal system works, students must consider the law in terms of its structures, processes, language, and modes of thought and argument—in short, they must become literate in the field. Legal Literacy fulfills this aim by providing a foundational understanding of key concepts such as legal personhood, jurisdiction, and precedent, and by introducing students to legal research and writing skills. Examples of cases, statutes, and other legal materials support these concepts. While Legal Literacy is an introductory text, it also challenges students to consider critically the system they are studying. Touching on significant socio-legal issues such as access to justice, legal jargon, and plain language, Zariski critiques common legal traditions and practices, and analyzes what it means “to think like a lawyer.” As such, the text provides a sound basis for those who wish to pursue further studies in law or legal studies as well as those seeking a better understanding of how the legal field relates to the society that it serves. (Description from AU Press)
Formats: PDF and online (Manifold)
Suggested for:
CML 1101 Legal Foundations: Research, Strategy, Analysis
CML 11011 Legal Foundations: Research, Strategy, Analysis (Part 1 of 2)
CML 11012 Legal Foundations: Research, Strategy, Analysis (Part 2 of 2)
As a general resource in all introductory courses in Common Law
