Australian Legal System in Context

    Unit code: BLB1101 | Study level: Undergraduate
    12
    (Generally, 1 credit = 10 hours of classes and independent study.)
    City Campus
    Online Real Time
    Online Self-Paced
    N/A
    Overview
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    Overview

    This foundation unit introduces students to the 'nuts and bolts' of the Australian Legal system and legal reasoning. In addition, it offers a selection of socio-political contexts within which to situate and critically evaluate the contemporary Australian legal system. This unit provides a foundation for the study of law at Victoria University and, as such, successful completion is a pre-requisite for progression through the Law course.



    This unit:

    • Provides students with a working foundation in the technical structure of Australian legal systems and legal reasoning, using applied practical teaching and learning methods;

    • Exposes students to ways of making sense of Australian legal systems and legal process in a legal academic way, using selected contexts from criminal and private law;
    • Introduces students to the broader contexts in which legal issues may arise, including the political, social, historical, philosophical and economic contexts; and
    • Inducts students in the ways of the lawyer, including and legal reasoning and appropriate language use and structure
    • using reflective, applied and theory-based teaching and learning methods.

    Learning Outcomes

    On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:

    1. Analyse the components of Australian legal systems, and elaborate how these components intersect and interact, and how lawyers use these systems;
    2. Communicate using appropriate professional legal language and express ideas and perspectives;
    3. Situate and analyse Australian legal systems within broader contemporary social and political contexts;
    4. Articulate and write about law in a coherent and professional way; and
    5. Work collaboratively and independently to use legal reasoning, (including statutory interpretation and application of case law) to create and present logical structured answers to problem-style legal questions.

    Assessment

    For Melbourne campuses

    Assessment type: Test
    |
    Grade: 10%
    Quiz 1
    Assessment type: Assignment
    |
    Grade: 30%
    Research assignment
    Assessment type: Assignment
    |
    Grade: 50%
    Critical Reflection and Legal Reasoning Task
    Assessment type: Test
    |
    Grade: 10%
    Final Quiz

    Required reading

    Foundations of Australian Law and Legal Writing: A custom publication for Victoria University,
    Raponi, K,de Saint, J, O’Sullivan, C, (eds) (2022),| LexisNexis
    Australian Guide to Legal Citation
    Melbourne University Law Review Association| Available in hard copy or online: http://www.law.unimelb.edu.au/mulr/aglc

    As part of a course

    This unit is studied as part of the following course(s):

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