Solutions for Canadian Business Law Today 2nd Edition Breen
CHAPTER 1 BUSINESS LAW
Chapter Commentary
The law shapes many aspects of our daily lives and it is a good beginning for this
textbook to discuss with students what they think about how the law influences our day-
to-day lives and society in general. Students may give examples from their personal
lives on how the law has affected them or someone they know.
In the chapter opener, the focus is on information and the sharing of information.
Students should understand the importance of documentation and records to a business;
that an employee has a personal responsibility to protect an organization’s information,
just as the organization has a responsibility to protect an employee’s information.
Discussions surrounding a business’s privacy policy and what it should entail allows the
student to think about their conduct when employed.
As a theme throughout the textbook, risk management is always present for class
discussion. As stated above, the importance of understanding the law in order to prevent
legal battles down the road as well as the importance of ethical behavior can be focused
on.
It is great when students understand the types of law, the sources of law and the areas of
law in order to gain an understanding of what they need to know as a business person. Of
particular attention, a concentration on administrative law and how it influences business
decisions is helpful. Have students understand the ease in obtaining the regulations and
‘rules’ of their industry and the importance of that knowledge in helping them in the
future. A fun and interesting segment for discussion is on white collar crimes. With so
many television shows like Suits, White Collar, and The Good Wife, just to name a few,
students will have plenty of examples of white collar crimes!
Naturally, how laws are made is an important part of understanding our legal system. By
going through the chart found in Figure 1.2, students will see how a federal law is made
and by visiting their respective provincial justice websites, information can be obtained
on how provincial laws are made.
The court system for each province is somewhat complex in that there are several levels
of courts that deal with different issues. It is important to review your provincial or
territorial (and other provinces too!) court system for the names of the superior courts. At
a federal level, an understanding of the Federal Court and Supreme Court is important.
The concept of ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) will provide solid conversations
on when and why a person or business would use it. You can stress that business people
should always look at ADR as a way to resolve an issue.
You will note that in this chapter as well as the chapters to follow, many will be referring
to the Pandemic or COVID-19. Because of the relevance to businesspeople, employees,
1-1
,governments, etc., we believe discussions around pandemics will be thought provoking
and a great learning and planning opportunity.
Discussion Forum Topics
Increasingly discussion forums are being incorporated into courses to foster discussion
between students that expand or augment that which has already taken place in class.
The following are suggested discussion board topics for this chapter, along with a
suggested establishing paragraph.
For some helpful hints on online discussion forums at the post-secondary level, we refer
you to the following website:
https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/teaching-resources/teaching-
tips/alternatives-lecturing/discussions/online-discussions-tips-for-instructors
You are required to make at least two thought-provoking postings each week to help
facilitate the discussion. We hope this will ensure a lively discussion.
Please remember this is not a writing assignment but a conversation, please be respectful
of the opinions of others.
1. Business Law happens all around us. Please start any discussion you like about
current events occurring in the area of business law.
2. Information about Business Law is readily available online. Find and post a link
that you think is useful for finding and understanding Business Law. What about this site
makes it useful?
3. Watch the following video:
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/alan_siegel_let_s_simplify_legal_jargon.html
What challenges does the speaker claim that businesses face from the law? Discuss
whether his three requirements could be applied to Canadian law.
4. From this Chapter , I want you to discuss the following questions:
a. What is the most important thing you learned and;
b. What is the most challenging concept you learned in this section.
Flipped Classroom
The Flipped classroom is an opportunity for students to prepare for class and for the instructor’s
1-2
,to expand the students’ learning through various activities and discussions. By reading the
textbook, watching a YouTube video, or completing a short assignment prior to their class, the
discussions and activities in the classroom become more robust and command an interesting
learning experience.
Please note that not all pre-class activities are required. The authors have prepared a sample of
items that can be provided to the student during a four-day, one hour course. Instructors may
choose the items they feel are appropriate for their classroom time allocation and their
expectations on out-of-classroom time.
In anticipation of Chapter 1 – Day 1, students should:
Preparation:
• Read Section 1.1 and review the Privacy Toolkit for Businesses and Organizations
found at https://www.priv.gc.ca/information/pub/guide_org_e.asp.
• Search online for information on Privacy policies of businesses or government
organizations. Bring a privacy policy you have found (or a sample) to class.
In class:
• Discuss what type of information is important to you as an employee?
• Review students’ privacy policies they have found.
In anticipation of Chapter 1 – Day 2, students should:
Preparation:
• Read Sections 1.2, 1.3 and 1.4.
• Review and be ready to discuss situations where documentation is important.
• Find examples of where a business made a risky decision and turned into a legal issue
• Be prepared to discuss ethics and the law – research one recent case that pertained to
ethics.
In class:
• Discuss why documentation is everything
• Discuss risk management and discuss the cases students brought to class about risky
decision making
• Discuss ethics and the cases the students brought to class about unethical business
behavior.
In anticipation of Chapter 1 – Day 3, students should:
Preparation:
• Read Sections 1.5 and 1.6.
• Discuss the article: 20 Weird Canadian Laws: Oh... Canada? Here are 20 weird
Canadian laws that you never knew (curiocity.com) and see if you can find
other strange Canadian laws.
• Answer Questions 2-4 of the Review at the end of the Chapter.
In class:
• Review the concepts of public law and private law, the areas of law and the types of
cases that exist in these areas.
Canadian Business Law Today, 2e / Instructors Manual
1-3
, • Discuss white collar crimes and how they affect businesses and individuals.
• Discuss what strange Canadian laws students have found. How were those laws made?
• Look at Case #1 and Case #2 of the Review at the end of the Chapter and discuss.
In anticipation of Chapter 1 – Day 4, students should:
Preparation:
• Read Section 1.6, 1.7 and 1.8
• Watch the YouTube “How a Bill becomes Law” at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_Vm7oaoOuU
• Watch the YouTube “Civil Claims: What to do in Court (Tips and Information)” found
at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVA5QZc_2HE
• Watch the YouTube “Intro to Cdn Legal System” found at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IyzMpDMSQQ
In class:
• Examine the process of how laws are made.
• Discuss the litigation process and go through the steps with a case.
• Discuss the various courts and the type of cases that go before these courts.
• Discuss ADR and why it is important for businesses and individuals.
• Short quiz.
• Provide answers to the crossword.
HELP
The fact situations described in the Help! feature of the chapter can be used to assist
students in developing a logical, progressive approach to the analysis of a fact situation
and identification of issues involved in the law of tort.
Based on the information and definitions provided in the chapter, the students could be
asked to: a) identify and describe the action that has been committed by the
individual or business that has caused harm to another party;
b) determine whether the action was intentional or unintentional, and
name the type of tort that has taken place (for example: defamation).
The fact situations can be further used to review and/or initiate discussion amongst
students about the various component parts that make up a legal action based on tort.
The following are some suggestions for this purpose along with references to the sections
in the text where the issues have been addressed.
As a businessperson, you may experience any of these scenarios below:
Canadian Business Law Today, 2e / Instructors Manual
1-4
CHAPTER 1 BUSINESS LAW
Chapter Commentary
The law shapes many aspects of our daily lives and it is a good beginning for this
textbook to discuss with students what they think about how the law influences our day-
to-day lives and society in general. Students may give examples from their personal
lives on how the law has affected them or someone they know.
In the chapter opener, the focus is on information and the sharing of information.
Students should understand the importance of documentation and records to a business;
that an employee has a personal responsibility to protect an organization’s information,
just as the organization has a responsibility to protect an employee’s information.
Discussions surrounding a business’s privacy policy and what it should entail allows the
student to think about their conduct when employed.
As a theme throughout the textbook, risk management is always present for class
discussion. As stated above, the importance of understanding the law in order to prevent
legal battles down the road as well as the importance of ethical behavior can be focused
on.
It is great when students understand the types of law, the sources of law and the areas of
law in order to gain an understanding of what they need to know as a business person. Of
particular attention, a concentration on administrative law and how it influences business
decisions is helpful. Have students understand the ease in obtaining the regulations and
‘rules’ of their industry and the importance of that knowledge in helping them in the
future. A fun and interesting segment for discussion is on white collar crimes. With so
many television shows like Suits, White Collar, and The Good Wife, just to name a few,
students will have plenty of examples of white collar crimes!
Naturally, how laws are made is an important part of understanding our legal system. By
going through the chart found in Figure 1.2, students will see how a federal law is made
and by visiting their respective provincial justice websites, information can be obtained
on how provincial laws are made.
The court system for each province is somewhat complex in that there are several levels
of courts that deal with different issues. It is important to review your provincial or
territorial (and other provinces too!) court system for the names of the superior courts. At
a federal level, an understanding of the Federal Court and Supreme Court is important.
The concept of ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) will provide solid conversations
on when and why a person or business would use it. You can stress that business people
should always look at ADR as a way to resolve an issue.
You will note that in this chapter as well as the chapters to follow, many will be referring
to the Pandemic or COVID-19. Because of the relevance to businesspeople, employees,
1-1
,governments, etc., we believe discussions around pandemics will be thought provoking
and a great learning and planning opportunity.
Discussion Forum Topics
Increasingly discussion forums are being incorporated into courses to foster discussion
between students that expand or augment that which has already taken place in class.
The following are suggested discussion board topics for this chapter, along with a
suggested establishing paragraph.
For some helpful hints on online discussion forums at the post-secondary level, we refer
you to the following website:
https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/teaching-resources/teaching-
tips/alternatives-lecturing/discussions/online-discussions-tips-for-instructors
You are required to make at least two thought-provoking postings each week to help
facilitate the discussion. We hope this will ensure a lively discussion.
Please remember this is not a writing assignment but a conversation, please be respectful
of the opinions of others.
1. Business Law happens all around us. Please start any discussion you like about
current events occurring in the area of business law.
2. Information about Business Law is readily available online. Find and post a link
that you think is useful for finding and understanding Business Law. What about this site
makes it useful?
3. Watch the following video:
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/alan_siegel_let_s_simplify_legal_jargon.html
What challenges does the speaker claim that businesses face from the law? Discuss
whether his three requirements could be applied to Canadian law.
4. From this Chapter , I want you to discuss the following questions:
a. What is the most important thing you learned and;
b. What is the most challenging concept you learned in this section.
Flipped Classroom
The Flipped classroom is an opportunity for students to prepare for class and for the instructor’s
1-2
,to expand the students’ learning through various activities and discussions. By reading the
textbook, watching a YouTube video, or completing a short assignment prior to their class, the
discussions and activities in the classroom become more robust and command an interesting
learning experience.
Please note that not all pre-class activities are required. The authors have prepared a sample of
items that can be provided to the student during a four-day, one hour course. Instructors may
choose the items they feel are appropriate for their classroom time allocation and their
expectations on out-of-classroom time.
In anticipation of Chapter 1 – Day 1, students should:
Preparation:
• Read Section 1.1 and review the Privacy Toolkit for Businesses and Organizations
found at https://www.priv.gc.ca/information/pub/guide_org_e.asp.
• Search online for information on Privacy policies of businesses or government
organizations. Bring a privacy policy you have found (or a sample) to class.
In class:
• Discuss what type of information is important to you as an employee?
• Review students’ privacy policies they have found.
In anticipation of Chapter 1 – Day 2, students should:
Preparation:
• Read Sections 1.2, 1.3 and 1.4.
• Review and be ready to discuss situations where documentation is important.
• Find examples of where a business made a risky decision and turned into a legal issue
• Be prepared to discuss ethics and the law – research one recent case that pertained to
ethics.
In class:
• Discuss why documentation is everything
• Discuss risk management and discuss the cases students brought to class about risky
decision making
• Discuss ethics and the cases the students brought to class about unethical business
behavior.
In anticipation of Chapter 1 – Day 3, students should:
Preparation:
• Read Sections 1.5 and 1.6.
• Discuss the article: 20 Weird Canadian Laws: Oh... Canada? Here are 20 weird
Canadian laws that you never knew (curiocity.com) and see if you can find
other strange Canadian laws.
• Answer Questions 2-4 of the Review at the end of the Chapter.
In class:
• Review the concepts of public law and private law, the areas of law and the types of
cases that exist in these areas.
Canadian Business Law Today, 2e / Instructors Manual
1-3
, • Discuss white collar crimes and how they affect businesses and individuals.
• Discuss what strange Canadian laws students have found. How were those laws made?
• Look at Case #1 and Case #2 of the Review at the end of the Chapter and discuss.
In anticipation of Chapter 1 – Day 4, students should:
Preparation:
• Read Section 1.6, 1.7 and 1.8
• Watch the YouTube “How a Bill becomes Law” at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_Vm7oaoOuU
• Watch the YouTube “Civil Claims: What to do in Court (Tips and Information)” found
at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVA5QZc_2HE
• Watch the YouTube “Intro to Cdn Legal System” found at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IyzMpDMSQQ
In class:
• Examine the process of how laws are made.
• Discuss the litigation process and go through the steps with a case.
• Discuss the various courts and the type of cases that go before these courts.
• Discuss ADR and why it is important for businesses and individuals.
• Short quiz.
• Provide answers to the crossword.
HELP
The fact situations described in the Help! feature of the chapter can be used to assist
students in developing a logical, progressive approach to the analysis of a fact situation
and identification of issues involved in the law of tort.
Based on the information and definitions provided in the chapter, the students could be
asked to: a) identify and describe the action that has been committed by the
individual or business that has caused harm to another party;
b) determine whether the action was intentional or unintentional, and
name the type of tort that has taken place (for example: defamation).
The fact situations can be further used to review and/or initiate discussion amongst
students about the various component parts that make up a legal action based on tort.
The following are some suggestions for this purpose along with references to the sections
in the text where the issues have been addressed.
As a businessperson, you may experience any of these scenarios below:
Canadian Business Law Today, 2e / Instructors Manual
1-4
