This course provides a basic understanding of common law and the Australian legal system. It is intended for students whose legal background is in non-common law jurisdictions. It has a strong focus on techniques of common law legal reasoning, which are essential for the non-common law practitioner to understand when dealing with common law legal systems. It deals with the principal institutions of the legal system, particularly the courts; the legislature and the executive arms of government; the judiciary; the legal profession - its history, role, interrelationships, operation and techniques; the doctrine of precedent and statutory interpretation, practice and theory; sources of Australian law including the past and present status of Aboriginal customary laws; the origins of common law; the colonisation of Australia; classifications within the common law, and the jurisdiction of Australian courts.