• Offered by Law School
  • ANU College ANU College of Law
  • Classification Advanced
    Specialist
  • Course subject Laws
  • Areas of interest Law
  • Academic career PGRD
  • Course convener
    • Benjamin Wickham
  • Mode of delivery In Person
  • Offered in Winter Session 2015
    See Future Offerings

Content:
While the course has a public sector orientation, it is designed to provide non-lawyers with an overview of tort law and to provide law graduates with an up-to-date review of basic principle and critical analysis of recent developments. There is some flexibility in the content. Topics to be covered include:

  • the field of tort law;
  • modern principles of negligence;
  • negligent liability of public authorities, with particular attention to failure to exercise a statutory power, and economic loss;
  • breach of statutory duty;
  • nuisance;
  • misfeasance in public office.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

A participant who has successfully completed this course should:

  • have an overview of the shape of, and trends in, modern tort law;
  • understand the principles of negligence, and their particular application to governments and public authorities;
  • understand the operation of the separate torts of nuisance, breach of statutory duty and misfeasance in public office;
  •  be able to analyse critically the policy issues involved, and appreciate the intersection of tort law with other principles and bodies of law.

Indicative Assessment

Assessment is likely to comprise an 8,000 word assignment on a topic of the student's choice (subject to the lecturer's approval).

Students must rely on the Approved Assessment which will be posted to the Wattle course website, prior to the commencement of the course. 

The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.

Workload

26 Contact Hours (Intensive Delivery over 4 days)

Click here for the current timetable

Requisite and Incompatibility

To enrol in this course you must be studying a: Master of Laws (7300XLLM, MLLM), Master of Laws specialising in International Law (7300XSINTL), Master of Laws specialising in Law, Governance and Development (7300SLGD), Master of Laws specialising in Environmental Law (7300SENVL), Master of Laws specialising in Government and Commercial Law (7300SGCL), Master of Laws specialising in International Security Law (7300SISL), Master of Laws in Migration (NLLML), Master of Laws in International Law (NLLIL), Master of Laws in Environmental Law (NLLEN), Master of Laws in Law, Governance & Development (NLLGD), Master of Laws in International Security Law (NLLSL), Master of Laws in Government and Regulation (NLLGR), Master of Laws (Legal Practice) (7312XLLMLP), Master of Diplomacy/Master of Laws (7883SINTL, 7883XLLM), Master of Legal Practice (MLEGP). OR Must be studying a: Master of Diplomacy/Master of International Law (7893XMINTL), Master of International Law (7310XMINTL), Master of Environmental Law (7309XMENVL), Master of Law, Governance & Development (7317XMLGD), Master of International Security Law (7318XMISL), Master of Government and Commercial Law (7313XMGCL), Master of Legal Studies (7305XMLEGS), and completed LAWS8015 Fundamentals of Government and Commercial Law or LAWS8587 Legal Framework of Regulation. OR Must be studying a Juris Doctor (7330XJD, 7330HJD or MJD) and have completed or be completing five LAWS1000 level courses or five LAWS6100 level courses. OR Must be studying a Graduate Certificate of Law (CLAW) and have completed or are completing LAWS8586 Law and Legal Institutions and LAWS8587 Legal Framework of Regulation.

Preliminary Reading

Balkin and Davis, Law of Torts 4 ed, 2009, Chap 7

A set of reading materials will be prepared and made available electronically approximately one month before classes start.

Assumed Knowledge

Assumed knowledge: Either a Law degree or successful completion of Fundamentals of Government and Commercial Law.

Required skills: Ability to read and understand selected cases and statutes. 

Fees

Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.  

If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.

Student Contribution Band:
3
Unit value:
6 units

If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.  Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.

Units EFTSL
6.00 0.12500
Domestic fee paying students
Year Fee
2015 $2958
International fee paying students
Year Fee
2015 $4146
Note: Please note that fee information is for current year only.

Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links

ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.

The list of offerings for future years is indicative only.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.

Winter Session

Class number Class start date Last day to enrol Census date Class end date Mode Of Delivery Class Summary
1712 08 Aug 2015 08 Aug 2015 21 Aug 2015 11 Oct 2015 In Person N/A

Responsible Officer: Registrar, Student Administration / Page Contact: Website Administrator / Frequently Asked Questions