“We’ve developed new teaching techniques to convey legal concepts,” highlights the creator and producer of the course, Étienne Trépanier, founder of Jurivision and Director of Educational Innovation and Legal Knowledge Mobilization at the Civil Law Section. He will guide learners who take the course.
Inspired by a documentary format, the course is built around video capsules featuring Professors John Mark Keyes and Mistrale Goudreau—experts in legislative drafting and statutory interpretation, respectively—as well as professionals and public servants. These videos are accompanied by interactive graphics, additional texts, and links to relevant resources to facilitate understanding of key concepts.
The course is aimed at law students, public servants, other government employees, consultants in the public sector, and lobbyists. "The legislative process is often poorly understood in legal and political circles, both in the public and private sectors," explains Étienne Trépanier. "People often don’t really know how policies are developed or how laws are written."
“Participants will be able to understand the legal and administrative mechanics that translate an idea or policy into a piece of legislation,” he continues. They will learn about the origin of bills and regulations, their typology, and the steps required to turn them into legal texts, primarily at the federal level. By the end of the course, they will be able to identify public organizations, political actors, and other stakeholders involved in the legislative and regulatory processes, as well as explain their functions and responsibilities.
Available in both French and English, this asynchronous course spans over one month. The first session will begin on November 15, followed by new cohorts in January and March 2025.
For more details and to register for this accredited training, visit the website of the University of Ottawa Professional Development Institute.
This project is made possible with the participation of representatives from the Department of Justice of Canada, as well as legal experts from the House of Commons and the Senate of Canada.