INTRODUCTION TO THE AUSTRALIAN LEGAL SYSTEM

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Overview

This subject is a critical introduction to the Australian legal system that addresses the operation, aims, and institutions of criminal justice. It equips students with foundational knowledge of the operation of criminal justice and how the legal system addresses basic questions of criminological and sociological importance. The subject addresses the relationship between crime and law in Australia; the making of laws by the Parliament and Courts; venues and methods of legal adjudication and interpretation; and the complex interactions between actors that comprise the legal system, including lawyers, police, magistrates and the media. The sustainability of the legal system is evaluated in its historical, ethical, economic and social context.

Portfolio

Arts, Social Sciences & Commerce (Pre 2022)

School

Subject coordinator

Tom Andrews

Subject type

Undergraduate

Year level

Year Level 1 - UG

AQF level

Level 5 - Diploma

Available as elective

Yes

Available to study abroad / exchange students

Yes

Capstone subject
Capstones provide students with a way of integrating and applying knowledge and skills gained throughout their course.

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Subject instances

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Career ready

Work based learning (placement):No

Graduate capabilities

COMMUNICATION - Communicating and Influencing

INQUIRY AND ANALYSIS - Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

INQUIRY AND ANALYSIS - Research and Evidence-Based Inquiry

Subject intended learning outcomes

On successful completion you will be able to:

Describe the structure of the Australian legal system

Explain the roles and functions of Australian legal institutions and actors

Demonstrate an understanding of the process by which law is created, interpreted and applied, and how the rule of law is sustained through that process.

Examine and critique arguments for changes to the criminal justice process, including the application of theories of restorative and therapeutic justice

Identify and examine interplays between the social and legal pillars of institutional and systemic sustainability, and the implications for decision-making in criminal justice.

Handbook