We all want justice; yet, we’re not sure what “justice” is. Is it revenge? Imprisonment? Compensation? Spite? Society’s preoccupation with justice is easy to find. Law & Order, Court TV and Shark all enjoy extensive commercial success. Almost 170 million people watched the verdict in O.J. Simpson’s murder trial live on television. John Grisham’s legal dramas are fixtures on best-sellers lists. What is it about justice that so captivates us? Students in this course will begin to form their own understanding of justice in a variety of ways. They will engage conflicting versions of the nature of justice; then examine current issues in Canadian law to find how those conflicting versions have meaningful practical application. Particular emphasis will be put on the harm principle, the role of morality in law and legal paternalism. Examining certain procedural features of the Canadian criminal justice system will demonstrate how legal philosophy has direct and significant impact on peoples’ lives. Given the expanding presence of legal issues in the media, that 16 of Canada’s 22 prime ministers have been lawyers, and that the state’s ability to imprison us hangs ominously over everyone, this opportunity to think critically about the nature of justice and its role in society is a valuable one for any student.
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