Rationale

Knowledge of the legal system in Canada allows the physician to provide care to patients in the context of federal, provincial or territorial, and local laws and regulations.

Key Objectives

Given a situation that may involve the legal system, the candidate will be able to identify the appropriate laws that apply to the situation and access and engage with the appropriate body.

Enabling Objectives

Given a situation that may involve the legal system, the candidate will

1. recognize the various sources of laws in Canada (e.g., federal and provincial or territorial statutes, common law, the Civil Code of Québec, licensing and regulatory bodies) as they apply to the practice of medicine;

2. be familiar with the principles underlying the important legal decisions made by courts, tribunals, and others that affect the practice of medicine; and

3. identify situations in which consultation, reporting, or referral is appropriate (e.g., legal advice, child protection services, public health).