Students will be required to complete 10 formative exercises.  Each exercise will consist of a set of questions designed to enable students to develop their legal research and analytical skills, reinforce their knowledge of relevant doctrinal principles, and enhance their contextual understanding of the laws underpinning the administration of criminal justice.

This will be assessed on an ongoing basis throughout the semester, to test students' understanding of materials, and ability to understand and critique developments in the law. The questions will require application of the principles of statutory interpretation, problem solving, independent research and demonstration of other legal skills, as learnt in LAW115.

These assessments will have the following due dates:

Q 1-3: Week 3, Sunday 11.59pm (21st March 2016)

Q 4-6: Week 6, Sunday 11.59 pm (10th April 2016)

Q 7-10: Week 9, Sunday 11.59pm (22nd May 2016) 

Task 1 will be worth a total of 30% (3 marks per question). Word limits for each question will be released with the questions, which will be posted on iLearn at the start of semester. All work is to be submitted via Turnitin on iLearn and must comply with the instructions found under General Assessment Information.

Class participation will be worth 20%. Class participation is not the same thing as class attendance. You will be required to attend each tutorial and participate in any set activities, including class discussions, debates, group work, and any other set work. Participation requires consistent demonstration of understanding and critical engagement with the required readings.

If you cannot attend a tutorial you must inform your tutor as soon as possible. Extended absences of more than two tutorials must meet the criteria for Disruption to Studies.   Applications for Disruptions to Studies are made online at ask.mq.edu.au in response to a serious and unavoidable event.

External students will be assessed on their participation at the compulsory on-campus session.

External students should also undertake the readings and prepare for, and participate in the tutorial exercises.This material will form the basis for the activities undertaken at the on campus session.  More information on the structure of the on campus session will be provided closer to the time on iLearn

Class participation will be assessed on the quality and regularity of participation, not on its quantity. Class participation will be assessed on the following criteria:

- Preparation  - the student is able to demonstrate reading and engagement with the materials, lectures and any other content provided for each week's tutorial. This will be demonstrated by ability to answer relevant questions, responding to and participating effectively in class debates, and by asking questions to clarify anything not understood;

- Ability to critically discuss the material - the student is able to critically discuss the tutorial materials and contributes to class discussions in a way that assists the learning of others. This will be demonstrated through the ability to respond to questions, counter-arguments and the ability to link readings and lecture materials to class activities, to current events, and to hypothetical scenarios;

- Oral expression - the student is able to verbally express their ideas about the materials in a clear, coherent, and concise manner;

- Engaging with other students - the student engages with others in the class, displaying respect for others' opinions, active listening, constructive feedback and dialogue;

- Collaboration - the student is able to work collaboratively and productively in small groups, fostering discussion, sharing opinions, and exploring points of consensus and disagreement;

- Demonstration of skills - the student is able to demonstrate legal skills taught in the unit, including statutory interpretation, problem solving skills, communication skills and general legal reasoning.

Students will be required to write a draft submission to a law reform inquiry for the final assessment of the unit, worth 50% of the final grade. Students will be required to demonstrate their understanding of the law, their ability to critically engage and evaluate existing legal principles, statutory frameworks and broader social contexts, and to propose sound, viable (legally, socially and politically), and reasoned legal and policy reforms.

The topic of the law reform, the terms of references, and advice on how to draft submissions will all be provided on the iLearn site, along with detailed instructions.

All work is to be submitted via Turnitin on iLearn by the due date and must comply with the instructions found under General Assessment Information.

The maximum word count for the submission will be 2500 words.