This course introduces you to administrative law practice from an Australian Government agency and private client perspective and prepares you to advise and assist clients on seeking access to information held by a government agency, obtaining reasons for decisions and seeking review of a decision by a Government agency.
This course focuses on the practice of administrative law to enable you to:
- Understand the decision-making process pursuant to legislation and generally;
- Examine the review of decisions within government agencies and by external tribunals in particular, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT);
- Prepare review documents such as statements of reasons and AAT documents such as a statement of facts and contentions;
- Consider: the role of the Commonwealth Ombudsman; legislation such as the Privacy Act, Freedom of Information Act (FOI); concepts such as judicial and merits review; and the application of the Archives Act;
- Develop your drafting skills with an emphasis on the preparation of documents for the private or Government client as well as submissions to the AAT;
- Develop skills, knowledge and understanding of the differences between acting for a private citizen or government client; and
- Understand accountability and ethical considerations in administrative law practice.
The course (including assessments) is based on Commonwealth legislation and practice. There is state legislation providing for access to government information, protection of personal information and review of State Government decisions and links are provided in Wattle to available resources.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Investigate, analyse and evaluate the client’s situation to identify the administrative law problem(s), synthesise the relevant law, how and where to obtain information and investigate and apply relevant processes and procedures to obtain relevant information.
- Analyse, research, interpret and evaluate the facts of the matter and means of review of decision(s), critically reflect on the breadth and scope of legal issues and applicable law to be able to communicate to the client(s) options for review/resolution of the matter.
- Research and generate by drafting, relevant document(s) in a format that will identify, apply and communicate information to the client or transmit information in the form required by the decision-maker, reviewer, tribunal or court to appropriately represent the client.
- Demonstrate and reflect critically on their ethical and professional behaviour and responsibilities.
- Demonstrate and apply the knowledge, skills and values required to achieve the ‘Competency Standards for Entry Level Lawyers’ as determined by the Law Admissions Consultative Council
Indicative Assessment
- Students are required to contribute to a discussion forum where they critically reflect on topics and issues relevant to administrative law practice and engage in discussion with their peers. Students draft an advice to a client on the prospects of challenging or defending an adverse government decision, research and draft relevant Tribunal documents and represent the client in the AAT. (null) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
In response to COVID-19: Please note that Semester 2 Class Summary information (available under the classes tab) is as up to date as possible. Changes to Class Summaries not captured by this publication will be available to enrolled students via Wattle.
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
Hours required will depend on previous experience and/or knowledge.
You self-pace your study to meet online course timelines and assessment deadlines within an 6 week intensive course.
Inherent Requirements
Not applicable
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
Content book and related materials are provided prior to the course commencing. Most materials are also provided online.
Preliminary Reading
Reading lists are available through the course homepage in WATTLE.
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:
- 3 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 |
|---|---|
| 3.00 | 0.06250 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $1236 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $1618 |
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.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Autumn Session
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5451 | 23 Mar 2020 | 23 Mar 2020 | 03 Apr 2020 | 01 May 2020 | Online | View |
Winter Session
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6476 | 20 Jul 2020 | 31 Jul 2020 | 31 Jul 2020 | 28 Aug 2020 | Online | View |
