Law reform, environmental and social justice are central to the ethos of the ANU Law School. This specialisation enables students to critically examine the role of law in addressing complex social, environmental and justice-related challenges, and the ways in which legal institutions and practitioners contribute to both reform and institutional stability.
Courses develop students’ capacity to analyse existing legal frameworks, assess the effectiveness of regulatory and policy responses, and design law reform proposals informed by ethical, social and environmental considerations.
The diverse range of courses supports the development of strong research, critical analysis and advocacy skills, preparing students to engage with contemporary debates in law reform, environmental and social justice in professional and civic contexts.
Learning Outcomes
- Review, analyse and synthesise knowledge from primary and secondary legal sources to identify and propose solutions to problems relating to law reform, environmental justice and social justice.
- Interpret and critically evaluate issues relating to law reform, environmental justice and social justice, including their social and ethical implications at local, national and international levels.
- Undertake technical legal research using legal materials, literature databases and other online sources, and apply legal or interdisciplinary research methodologies to evaluate and synthesise findings.
- Communicate effectively with legal and non-legal audiences in a range of oral and written formats.
- Examine Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives relating to law reform, environmental justice and social justice, and reflect on their significance to contemporary Australian law and society.
- Exercise independence and professional judgement, and critically reflect on personal, professional and ethical capability in relation to law reform, environmental justice and social justice.
Other Information
Courses counted towards this specialisation may also count towards another specialisation, provided they are included in the study requirements for both specialisations.
Relevant Degrees
Requirements
This specialisation requires the completion of 24 units, which must consist of:
24 units from completion of courses from the following list:
LAWS4215 Environmental Law
LAWS4218 Feminist and Critical Legal Theory
LAWS4219 Health Law, Bioethics and Human Rights
LAWS4222 Intellectual Property
LAWS4225 International Law of Human Rights
LAWS4238 Indigenous Peoples and the Law
LAWS4256 Law, Gender Identities and Sexualities
LAWS4260 Law and Psychology
LAWS4271 Refugee Law
LAWS4274 Climate Law
LAWS4286 Literature, Law and Human Rights
LAWS4289 Leviathan, Art, and Law: Constituting the Body Politic
LAWS4299 Law's History and Context
LAWS4307 Legal Education for True Justice: Indigenous Perspectives and Deep Listening on Country
LAWS4309 Colonialism and the rule of law
LAWS4314 Sentencing
LAWS4315 Law and Development in the Contemporary South Pacific
LAWS4321 Law and Social Movements
LAWS4358 International Law, Science and Technology
LAWS4359 Property in a Settler State
LAWS4364 International Law of the Environment
LAWS4395 Critical Approaches to International Law
LAWS4601 Comparative Human Rights
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