This course will focus on injuries to relational interests, including negligent and/or intentional interference with family relationships, economic relationships, and community relationships. Topics covered will include the torts of intimidation, conspiracy, inducing breach of contract, defamation, and invasion of privacy, and liability for economic loss from negligence. Each area of tort law doctrine will be considered in context. This will involve a substantial historical component and also exploration of various jurisprudential perspectives on tort law including law and economics, critical legal studies, feminist legal theory, and critical race theory.
Method of Evaluation: The mode of evaluation for this course is a 2.5 hour open book examination worth 100% of the final grade. But in accordance with Osgoode’s rules, an additional form of evaluation is available. Students may opt to write a short paper (2500-3000 words) on a case or a group of cases covered in the course. If higher, the mark received for the short paper will be substituted for the mark received for the essay question on the final exam and will thereby count for one-third of the final grade. (Note that students opting to write the short paper must still write the entirety of the final exam.)