Course

Principles of Public Law - LAWS8126

Faculty: Faculty of Law

School: Faculty of Law

Course Outline: See below

Campus: Sydney

Career: Postgraduate

Units of Credit: 6

EFTSL: 0.12500 (more info)

Indicative Contact Hours per Week: 2

Enrolment Requirements:

Prerequisite: Academic Program must be either 9220, 9231, 5750 or 5231.

Excluded: LAWS8274

CSS Contribution Charge: 3 (more info)

Tuition Fee: See Tuition Fee Schedule

Further Information: See Class Timetable

View course information for previous years.

Description

This course aims to introduce students to the study of public law, including its methods of reasoning, history and fundamental principles. It asks students to engage with introductory principles and theories of constitutional and administrative law as they apply to the essential features of our system of government. Specific topics which students will be required to learn and analyse include the Westminster System, Federation, Indigenous Peoples and the Question of Sovereignty, the Federal Parliament, the Separation of powers, Human Rights and Bills of Rights and Constitutional Change.

Credited Programs

Please note this course is only available to students enrolled in the Master of Legal Studies, Graduate Diploma in Legal Studies, Master of Business Law or
Graduate Diploma in Business Law


Recommended Prior Knowledge

None

Learning Outcomes

At the completion of this course, students will have developed:
  • An understanding of core public law principles
  • Knowledge of the Australian system of government;
  • A preliminary grasp of constitutional and administrative law frameworks;
  • An appreciation of topical arguments in favour of and against various proposals for public law reform;
  • An ability to cogently discuss these concepts in a scholarly and persuasive manner.

Main Topics

  • Constitutionalism and the Fiji crisis
  • The Westminster system
  • Federation to popular sovereignty
  • Indigenous peoples and the question of sovereignty
  • The Australian federal system
  • The Federal Parliament
  • The separation of judicial power
  • State constitutions
  • The executive
  • Human rights and Bills of Rights
  • Changing the constitution and the republic

Assessment

Research Essay 30%
Exam 50%
Class Participation 20%

Course Texts

To be advised

Resources

Refer to the course outline which will be provided by the lecturer at the beginning of the semester.
Badabagan

Study Levels

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