Pension plans are dynamic in Canadian society. They are a source of income in retirement to individuals, compensation tools for employers, social planning tools for government, sophisticated multi-billion dollar financial institutions, and can be the largest liability on a corporate balance sheet, and the largest asset on the family balance sheet. Pension law is equally dynamic. As a practice, it intersects with corporate, labour and employment, human rights, trusts, tax, contract, tort, agency, insolvency, insurance, family, administrative and regulatory law, among others. Moreover, now is an exciting time to practice and study pension law. Governments across Canada are enacting sweeping reforms to the system in an effort to strike a better balance among the interests of pension stakeholders, pension policy continues to make headlines in corporate insolvencies, and reform continues in the public sector pension system. The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the various legal issues relating to the design and operation of Canadian pension plans and the place they occupy in Canadian society. Given the multi-disciplinary nature of pension law, the course is ideal for students interested in a variety of areas of future practice.
Pension plans are dynamic in Canadian society. They are a source of income in retirement to individuals, compensation tools for employers, social planning tools for government, sophisticated multi-billion dollar financial institutions, and can be the largest liability on a corporate balance sheet, and the largest asset on the family balance sheet. Pension law is equally dynamic. As a practice, it intersects with corporate, labour and employment, human rights, trusts, tax, contract, tort, agency, insolvency, insurance, family, administrative and regulatory law, among others. Moreover, now is an exciting time to practice and study pension law. Governments across Canada are enacting sweeping reforms to the system in an effort to strike a better balance among the interests of pension stakeholders, pension policy continues to make headlines in corporate insolvencies, and reform continues in the public sector pension system. The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the various legal issues relating to the design and operation of Canadian pension plans and the place they occupy in Canadian society. Given the multi-disciplinary nature of pension law, the course is ideal for students interested in a variety of areas of future practice.
