Units: Legal Studies

LS100 Introduction to Legal Studies

This unit is the foundational unit for the Legal Studies major. The unit will introduce students to the Australian Legal System, to sources of the law, to the methodology of legal reasoning and to the basics of legal writing and research.

 

LS301 Law and Indigenous Rights
Prerequisite: LS100

This unit examines the contentious issue of the application of Australia’s European-derived legal system to the issue of indigenous rights. Students will examine the full implications of the decision to legally declare Australia ‘terra nullius’, the issue of indigenous land rights and treaties, the position of aboriginal people within the justice system, and contending traditions of Australian and indigenous law.

 

LS302 Law and Criminal Justice
Prerequisite: LS100

An understanding of the criminal justice system is essential to understanding the role of the Law in Australian society. This unit examines the theoretical underpinnings of social theory regarding the Law, the historical evolution of notions of crime and justice in Australia, and the social framework within which crime and punishment exist as central features of our legal system.

 

LS303 Law and Government
Prerequisite: LS100

In this unit students will develop a sound theoretical and practical knowledge of law and government. Topics covered in the unit will include a review of the constitutional powers, jurisdictional conflict and the Federal and State Systems. Freedom of Information, the Ombudsman’s Office and other aspects of Administrative Law will be examined in the context of law and government. The unit will focus on social science perspectives and interpretations of legal processes and practices.

 

LS304 Law and International Relations
Prerequisite: LS100

In this unit students will develop a sound theoretical and practical knowledge of law and international relations. Topics covered in the unit will include a review of the current system of international law with a particular emphasis on the state’s role in areas such as civil law, international arbitration and dispute resolution. International business law, foreign investments, trade relations and relevant international agreements will be examined in the context of the World Trade Organisation. The unit will focus on social science perspectives and interpretations of legal processes and practices.

 

LS305 Law and the Media
Prerequisite: LS100

In this unit students will explore all aspects of the law as it relates to the media. Specific topics will include freedom of speech, defamation, confidentiality, censorship, offensive publications, copyright and privacy. In particular the unit will evaluate the role of self-regulation using a case study of the Press Council of Australia. The unit will integrate social science theories and perspectives to analyse the social construction of free speech as reflected in the media in all its forms.