This course provides an introduction to the study of post-graduate law. It is an innovative course designed to introduce all non-law graduates (and by choice, law graduates from overseas universities) to fundamental principles of law and legal systems. The course includes a focus on both the Australian legal system and comparative issues where relevant and covers the following topics:
• sources of law (including case law, statute, treaties, custom, tradition)
• types of law (including national, international, public, private)
• legal systems (including common law, civil law, international and indigenous law)
• legal institutions (including parliament , courts, tribunals, international organisations, non-governmental organisations and community)
• legal interpretation.

Integrated throughout the course is a discussion of legal pluralism, and law and society. A strong emphasis is also placed on assisting students to develop skills in legal research, citation, problem-solving and legal writing.
 

Learning Outcomes

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

1. Demonstrate a strong knowledge and understanding of the foundations of law, legal systems and legal institutions
2. Demonstrate a strong knowledge and understanding of the Australian legal system, including the executive, legislative, judicial and federal systems
3. Incorporate social, policy, comparative or interdisciplinary approaches into legal analysis
4. Demonstrate key skills in legal research, legal writing, citation and answering legal problems
5. Read, review and analyse legal cases, texts and statutes.

Research-Led Teaching

Amelia Simpson is an active researcher in the fields of public law and the intersection of law and public policy. Her research expertise and subject matter knowledge underpins and informs her delivery of this course.

Additional Course Costs

 

This course is an intensive course taught at the ANU Acton Campus in Canberra. Students will need to cover costs associated with travel, accommodation, meals etc, if attending from out of State.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• 
  

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	This is an intensive course taught over four consecutive days. This course will explore the foundations of the Australian legal system and key contemporary lawmaking institutions. It will introduce students to the basics of locating, interpreting and applying sources of law. There is an expectation that students in this course will attend all classes in person and complete all set preparatory reading.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Quiz 1	0 %	17/07/2019	17/07/2019	1,2
Quiz 2	10 %	20/07/2019	22/07/2019	4
Quiz 3	20 %	30/07/2019	06/08/2019	1,2,3,5
Problem Question / Case Note	70 %	03/09/2019	24/09/2019	3,4,5

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using 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. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website. Students may choose not to submit assessment items through Turnitin. In this instance you will be required to submit, alongside the assessment item itself, hard copies of all references included in the assessment item.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

Full attendance at all class sessions is expected.

Assessment Task 1

Quiz 1

Nature of Task: Required for satisfactory completion of course. Quiz comprised of multiple choice questions accessed and completed online through the Wattle site

Weighting: 0%

Release: The Quiz will be made available by 10.00am 10 July 2019.

Due date: 10.00am on 17 July 2019.

Estimated return date: Available immediately on submission.

Assessment Criteria:

a) Understanding of the material:

• consults and comprehends the set preliminary reading for the course in advance of the face-to-face component;
• links issues / concepts raised across the various items of preliminary reading.

Assessment Task 2

Quiz 2

Nature of Task: Quiz comprised of short-answer and multiple-choice questions.

Weighting: 10%

Release: The Quiz will be made available by 4pm on Friday 19 July 2019.

Due date: The Quiz is to be completed overnight for submission in class the next morning at 9.00am on Saturday 20 July 2019.

Estimated return date: 22 July 2019. The papers will be distributed randomly in class and we will mark the assessment together during Session 7. The convenor will double-check marking and enter the final marks on the Wattle site shortly thereafter.

Assessment Criteria:

a) Research

• consults appropriate databases for case law, legislation and secondary sources
• employs appropriate search techniques
• understands differences between databases;

b) Citation and referencing

• consults and applies Australian Guide to Legal Citation

Assessment Task 3

Quiz 3

Nature of Task: Quiz comprised of short-answer questions accessed and completed online through the Wattle site.

Weighting: 20%

Release: The Quiz will be made available by 5.00pm, Monday 22 July 2019.

Due date: 10.00am Tuesday 30 July 2019.

Estimated return date: On or before 6 August 2019.

Assessment Criteria:

a)   Understanding of the issues

• addresses the question and covers all the important points raised by the question
• consults and synthesises relevant reading materials and in-class discussion/materials
• connects material covered in different sessions;

b)   Thinking critically about the material

• where appropriate, looks at questions from different angles
• questions assumptions;

c)   Presentation

• expresses ideas clearly and succinctly. 

Assessment Task 4

Problem Question / Case Note

Nature of Task: A two-part question (in which both parts are compulsory):

PART A involves students reading a legal case provided to them and preparing a case note

PART B involves students using that same case to assist in answering a hypothetical problem

Weighting: 70%

• PART A (mark value: 40%)
• PART B (mark value: 30%)

Word limit: 4,000 words

Release: The question will be made available via Wattle on or before Tuesday 23 July 2019.

Due date: 10.00am Tuesday 3 September 2019

Estimated return date: : On or before 24 September 2019.

Assessment Criteria:

a)   Case Note

• summarises facts and procedural history
• identifies issues to be decided
• summarises court’s analysis of law and identifies principles of law to be applied
• summarises court’s application of law to the facts
• identifies court’s decision
• analyses the policy ramifications and/or social or cultural context of the case:
• using logical and well-organised discussion
• conducting critical analysis of the material
• drawing on a range of appropriate research sources
• reaching well-reasoned conclusions;

b)   Application to the hypothetical problem

• answers the question asked
• identifies the legal issues raised from the facts of the question
• legal principles stated/explained with accuracy
• legal principles applied to the relevant facts, recognising any ‘grey areas’
• clear conclusions reached;

c)   Presentation, style and referencing

• good use of structure, section headings and paragraphs
• clarity and conciseness of expression
• full and accurate footnotes
• style according to Australian Guide to Legal Citation
• adherence to word limit.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

The Second assessment item (research skills quiz) will be submitted in hard copy during class, on the document distributed at the conclusion of the library tutorial in session 6.

Late Submission

No submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date will be permitted. If an assessment task is not submitted by the due date, a mark of 0 will be awarded.

OR

Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Returning Assignments

Extensions late submission and penalties - https://law.anu.edu.au/current-students/policies-procedures/extensions-late-submission-and-penalties

Deferred examination: http://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/assessments-exams/deferred-examinations

Special consideration: http://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/assessments-exams/special-assessment-consideration

Penalties for excess word length: https://law.anu.edu.au/current-students/policies-procedures/word-length-and-excess-word-penalties

Distribution of Grades Policy: Effective from Winter Session and Second Semester 2018 (and until further notice), the interim scaling guideline applies to all courses in the LLB (Hons) and JD programs. Please see: https://law.anu.edu.au/current-students/policies-procedures/grading

Further Information about the Course: is available from the course WATTLE page. Students are required to access the WATTLE site regularly throughout the course for details on weekly classes and any announcements relating to the course.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students