This course considers the legal significance of the arrival of the British in Australia to the original inhabitants and the settlers, the principal institutions of the legal system and their historical roles, interrelationships, and operation. The course considers the State legal institutions' development up to Federation, and the move to independence from British institutions. The course emphasises the doctrine of precedent and statutory interpretation in relation to these institutions. A number of torts are then studied, notably intentional torts and nuisance, as an example of the legal system in action.

This course also includes an integrated research component, which introduces students to the literature relevant to the law in Australia, differentiates primary and secondary materials, and familiarises students with both traditional and electronic research methods.