Recommended for: Administrative decision-makers, investigators, or anyone who wants to write clear, concise, coherent decisions.
This course stresses a reader-centered approach to writing decisions. Learners will discuss how to make decisions accessible to the parties involved. They will also discuss what appeal bodies and reviewing courts expect to see in written decisions. Learners will discover how to organize ideas, draft sections of decisions effectively, and revise for logic and flow. Learners will practise specific skills and techniques for writing clearly, concisely, and coherently and apply the learning to writing decisions in a tribunal context. The goal is to develop your writing skills relevant to decision-writing and become confident in creating and revising these documents. You will write and edit a decision based on one scenario. This step-by-step approach helps you apply key concepts and refine your work along the way. By the end, you will have a complete decision that showcases the skills and techniques learned in the course.
Format: Focused writing exercises plus large and small-group discussions, along with individual feedback from instructor and peer learners. Because this course is focused on writing, the time spent on group work may be less than in other courses you have taken or will take with the Foundation.
Prerequisite: To attend this course, you must have taken the Principles of Administrative Justice course.
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Download Syllabus
Livestream Course Dates
- November 3, 4, 6, & 7, 2025 (8:30 am-12:00 pm MT)
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Course Purposes
This course intends to:
- develop plain language writing skills.
- encourage decision-writers to think about writing for their readers.
- provide practice in writing and editing a complete decision, applying key concepts step by step.
- develop skills in revising and refining decisions for readability, clarity, and transparency.
Course Learning Outcomes
After this course, you will be able to:
- use decision-making notes to begin writing an administrative decision, either as a sole decision-maker, as part of a decision-making panel or as a writer for decision-makers.
- explain what different audiences need in a decision and how those needs affect how you write a decision.
- write effective introductory sections for decisions and be positioned to write analysis portions of decisions.
- revise decisions for readability, understandability and transparency.
Recommended previous Foundation courses: Evidence, Interpreting Legislation, & Decision-Making
Register Here!
Livestream: $1,070.00 Members / $1,320.00 Non-Members
Refresher: $595.00 Member or Non Member
*For individuals who have previously taken the course, and would like to attend a regularly scheduled livestream course at a discount rate. Please contact us at info@foaj.ca or call 855-466-0501.