LA1101 - Legal Institutions and Processes

This subject provides students with a thorough introduction to the institutions and processes that influence the ongoing development of law in Australia, their history, context and contemporary relevance. It equips students with the skills necessary to find, interpret and apply law in both its legislative and adjudicative modes. Topics covered include: governance and sovereignty; Australian legal history; constitutional arrangements; judicial and legislative law-making; access to justice.

Learning Outcomes

• an ability to describe the historical foundations of Australian law;
• an understanding of the ways in which formal law making bodies function in the Australian context;
• an ability to analyse and critique the operation of Australian legal institutions from a variety of historical and theoretical perspectives;
• an awareness of the process and history of colonisation and the conquest and survival of Indigenous peoples under Australian law;
• an awareness of current themes and future directions in the development of Australian law.

Graduate Qualities

• The ability to think critically, to analyse and evaluate claims, evidence and arguments;
• The ability to define and to solve problems in at least one discipline area;
• The ability to lead, manage and contribute effectively to teams;
• The ability to speak and write logically, clearly and creatively;
• A coherent and disciplined body of skills, knowledge, values and professional ethics in at least one discipline area;
• The ability to learn independently and in a self-directed manner;
• A commitment to lifelong learning and intellectual development;
• The ability to read complex and demanding texts accurately, critically and insightfully.

Note: Minor variations might occur due to the continuous Subject quality improvement process, and in case of minor variation(s) in assessment details, the Subject Outline represents the latest official information.