Units

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Sample subject outline - Semester 2 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

For students involved in a wide range of industries it is important to have a fundamental understanding of the nature of the Australian legal system. The unit introduces students to the sources of law (both cases and legislation) and will assist students in acquiring introductory knowledge about the Australian legal system and laws so that they will be equipped to complete other law units in their relevant course.

Aims

The primary aim of this unit is to examine the development and application of the Australian legal system and to increase students' awareness and understanding of how to approach matters of legal significance. This unit aims to provide foundation knowledge about the law and legal concepts, the Australian legal system and sources of law to enable students to better operate in industry. It also aims to introduce students to the essential skill of problem solving which requires the application of legal knowledge to different scenarios.

Objectives

At the conclusion of the study of this unit you will be able to:
1. Identify and communicate the fundamental principles that underpin the Australian legal system and its institutions including parliament and the court system.
2. Identify and explain a range of laws relevant to industry.
3. Apply legal principles to problem scenarios relevant to industry.
4. Present legal concepts clearly and in plain English through oral and written communication.

Content

In this unit you will be introduced to:
1. The Australian legal system
2. Forms of business organisation
3. Contract Law
4. Consumer Law
5. Negligence
6. Property Law

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

This unit will be taught in internal mode consisting of a program of weekly two hour lectorials comprising aspects of lectures and tutorials. During the lectorial key concepts will be explained and class discussion will take place during which key concepts will be applied to realistic scenarios using a case study approach.

Assessment

In this unit you will be graded on a scale of one to seven.

Overview of Assessment:

Assessment in this unit is both summative (ie. designed to give you feedback and linked to your assessment) and formative (ie. designed to provide you with feedback and not linked to your assessment).

Faculty Assessment Information
To access the Law Faculty Assessment Information see the Blackboard site for this unit.Students will receive feedback in various forms throughout the semester which may include:
Informal: worked examples, such as verbal feedback in class, personal consultation;
Formal: in writing, such as checklists (e.g. criteria sheets), written commentary;
Direct: to individual students, either in written form or in consultation; and
Indirect: to the whole class.

Assessment name: Reflective Journal
Description: You will be required to attend a sitting of the Queensland Parliament and the Supreme or District Court of Queensland and provide a personalised account of your visit, outlining your observations.
Word limit: 500 words
Relates to objectives: 1 and 4
Weight: 20%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Week 6

Assessment name: Examination
Description: The examination will be an invigilated multiple choice closed book exam. The examination will require you to choose answers from a number of possible options for a series of questions. Those questions will cover material from across the whole unit. Questions may be theory and/or short problem based.
Relates to objectives: 1-3
Weight: 50%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Central Exam Period

Assessment name: Assignment
Description: The assignment will require you to provide a written response to a problem style question. The assignment will assess the extent to which you have a broad knowledge and understanding of the principles underpinning the legal system, your ability to interpret and analyse sources of law relevant to industry and your ability to recognise legal problems and apply legal principles to solve these problems.
Word limit: 100-1500 words
Relates to objectives: 1-4
Weight: 30%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Week 10

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

Prescribed Materials
B Sweeney, J O'Reilly and A Coleman, Law in Commerce (LexisNexis, Sydney, 4th ed, 2010).
Recommended References
You do not need to purchase these books. They are usually available in the law library).
R Chisholm and G Nettheim, Understanding Law (LexisNexis, Sydney, 7th ed, 2007).
C Cook, R Creyke, R Geddes and D Hamer, Laying Down the Law (LexisNexis Butterworths, Chatswood, 7th ed, 2009).
Concise Australian Legal Dictionary, (LexisNexis Butterworths, Sydney, 4th ed, 2011).
Blackboard site
Online resources for this unit are available on the unit blackboard site.

Risk assessment statement

There are no out of the ordinary risks associated with this unit.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 11-Apr-2013