In every society there are mechanisms for declaration, alternation, administration and enforcement of the rules which people organize their criminal and conventional behavior and their perception of right and wrong. Some societies, may place more reliance upon informal customary sources of legal rules thereby resolving disputes through conciliation or mediation. The interaction between culture, views of wrongdoing and social structure is being investigated in a long-term project comparing Japanese and Canadians young adults. The links between social norms and legal norms allow an exploration of the social and cultural context f tort law. The Rusls is in the process of underrating further research n comparative legal systems.
Advisory members are from sociology, political science, economics, history and law.
Research projects also include training opportunities for honours undergraduate and graduate students.