Summer Registration
Course registration for Summer opens for current Queen’s students and students currently registered in the program February 2, 2026. Visit the student registration guide to learn how to
A deep look and clear insights into environmental law in Canada.
If you are interested in breathing clean air, drinking clean water, saving endangered species, or addressing climate change, then you are interested in environmental law in Canada! Learn from one of Canada’s leading figures in environmental law in this accessible, but comprehensive, course.
This course provides students with a comprehensive overview of environmental law, regulation, and policy at the provincial and federal levels in Canada.
Students will examine how governments, industry, landowners and the public have attempted to prevent, minimize or mitigate environmental degradation and natural resource depletion.
Topics covered in the course modules include: air and water pollution; environmental litigation; toxic chemicals and pesticides; environmental assessment; climate change; biodiversity conservation; species at risk; parks and protected areas; land use planning; non-regulatory approaches; and Indigenous rights.
Course Learning Outcomes (CLO)
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
- Analyze and interpret key federal and provincial environmental laws and regulatory frameworks, demonstrating understanding of their legal foundations and policy objectives.
- Evaluate the development, evolution, and limitations of environmental law in Canada, including its historical, political, and ethical dimensions.
- Apply statutory, common law, and voluntary legal tools to assess how environmental issues are addressed in real-world contexts, including litigation and policy responses.
- Evaluate the ethical and legal dimensions of environmental law as they relate to Indigenous rights, environmental justice, and public participation, and communicate informed perspectives on reconciliation and rights-based approaches to law and policy.
Course Offering (may be subject to change)
Environmental Law (LAW 209/709) will be offered every January and May.
Assessment Weighting (may be subject to change)
| ASSESSMENT TOOL | WEIGHT |
|---|---|
Final Assessment | 40% |
| Written Assignment | 30% |
| Discussion Posts | 18% (6 posts, 3% each) |
| Weekly quizzes | 12% (12 quizzes, 1% each) |
Course Materials
Paul Muldoon & Julie Williams, An Introduction to Environmental Law and Policy in Canada, Fourth Edition (Toronto: Emond Montgomery Publications Limited, 2025). The softcopy and eTextbook can be purchased from Emond Publishing.
Other readings as detailed in the course syllabus (available upon enrolment)
Textbook Buying Options
Softcover - $87.00 (non-returnable) or $97.00 (returnable)
eTextbook - $78.00 (lifetime access) or $69.00 (1-year rental)