Course Description
Family Law Fundamentals is a nationally developed module for new judges, as proposed in the Canadian Judicial Council’s Professional Development Policies and Guidelines. The course focuses on topics of national scope, primarily divorce and corollary relief – which includes parenting rights, child support, and spousal support.
This course was designed to achieve two different objectives, each targeting a unique audience:
• For new judges, or judges with little or no experience in family law, this course will serve as basic training in the field. The lessons will give you a sense of the basic rules, governing tests, and where to look for more detailed information.
• For judges with more experience on the bench, this course can serve as a refresher or as a reference guide. The material is easy to browse when looking for quick answers and can be downloaded or printed for future reference.
Acknowledgements
The following judges, lawyers, and academics have assisted the NJI with developing the structure of the course as well as writing and reviewing the content:
• Justice Deborah Chappel, Ontario Superior Court of Justice
• Justice Les Jesudason, Supreme Court of Nova Scotia (Family Division)
• Justice Elizabeth Jollimore, Supreme Court of Nova Scotia (Family Division)
• Justice Freda Steel, Court of Appeal for Manitoba
• Justice Marie-France Vincent, Cour supérieure du Québec
• Mr. Peter Aadoson, Counsel, Judicial Education (NJI)
• Ms. Sharon Kravetsky, Taylor McCaffrey LLP (Manitoba)
• Professor Rollie Thompson, Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University
Disclaimer
Please note, this resource is not a substitute for argument, evidence or research where the facts of a given case are complex.