Students

LAWS2100 – Jurisprudence

2020 – Session 2, Special circumstance, Other

Notice

As part of Phase 3 of our return to campus plan, most units will now run tutorials, seminars and other small group learning activities on campus for the second half-year, while keeping an online version available for those students unable to return or those who choose to continue their studies online.

To check the availability of face to face activities for your unit, please go to timetable viewer. To check detailed information on unit assessments visit your unit's iLearn space or consult your unit convenor.

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Sarah Sorial
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
60cp including LAWS1000 or LAW115
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
LAW2100 internal
Unit description Unit description
This unit is a philosophically-based introduction to law and legal thought. It has four main objectives. It aims to introduce students to the nature of the Australian legal system; to equip them to think in a theoretical and critical way about the nature of law and legal reasoning; to convey an understanding of some key legal concepts; and to assist them to draw on and apply these reflections in the context of some contemporary legal issues.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Analyse central debates in jurisprudence
  • ULO2: Evaluate the law and legal institutions from a normative perspective.
  • ULO3: Apply theoretical knowledge to real-life situations and topical controversies
  • ULO4: Develop the ability to build and communicate theoretical legal arguments under time pressure.

General Assessment Information

1. Essay.

The word limit for this assignment is 1,500 words (footnotes and the bibliography are not included in the word limit). Students should adhere to AGLC4). Further details will be released once the course starts.

2. Take Home Exam

Students will be required to answer four questions based on the materials weeks 7-12. Each answer is 500 words in length. Questions will be released on iLearn on Monday 2 November. Students will have 5 days to complete the assessment.

The word limit for this assignment is 2000 words. Footnotes and the bibliography are not included in the word limit. Students should abide by AGLC4.

3. Quizzes

Class participation for this subject will be assessed by TWO multiple choice quizzes, to be attempted any time during week 6 and week 11. Each quiz will consist of 10 questions, each worth one mark. There is a total of 10 marks per quiz. You will have 15 minutes to complete the quiz from the time you open it. 

The quiz is designed to test your comprehension of the texts set for study and your engagement with the course materials. If you attend zoom classes each week, do the readings and listen to the lectures, the quizzes will be very straightforward.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
timed online quizzes 20% No Week 6 & Week
Essay 40% No 28/09/20
Take home exam 40% No Week 13, 06/11/20

timed online quizzes

Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 1 hours
Due: Week 6 & Week
Weighting: 20%

two multiple choice quizzes - dates and times will be advertised on iLearn


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Analyse central debates in jurisprudence
  • Evaluate the law and legal institutions from a normative perspective.
  • Apply theoretical knowledge to real-life situations and topical controversies

Essay

Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 25 hours
Due: 28/09/20
Weighting: 40%

This assignment will require comprehension and critical analysis of some key readings on the nature of law. .


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Analyse central debates in jurisprudence
  • Evaluate the law and legal institutions from a normative perspective.
  • Apply theoretical knowledge to real-life situations and topical controversies
  • Develop the ability to build and communicate theoretical legal arguments under time pressure.

Take home exam

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 25 hours
Due: Week 13, 06/11/20
Weighting: 40%

 

The take-home exam will test critical reasoning skills and comprehension of the set texts.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Analyse central debates in jurisprudence
  • Evaluate the law and legal institutions from a normative perspective.
  • Apply theoretical knowledge to real-life situations and topical controversies
  • Develop the ability to build and communicate theoretical legal arguments under time pressure.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

The main textbook for this unit is: Denise Meyerson, Jurisprudence, Oxford University Press, 2011. All other reading material will be available from Leganto, which you can access via the iLearn site. 

This unit will be taught fully online in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions. All lectures will be available on ECHO360. Tutorials will be conducted via zoom.  

Unit Schedule

Week 1: Introduction to Jurisprudence 

Week 2: Law and Force: Austin v Hart

Week 3: Contemporary Positivism 

Week 4: Natural Law Theory

Week 5: Adjudication I: Formalism v Purposivism

Week 6: Adjudication II: Hart v Dworkin (Quiz 1)

Week 7: Realism and Critical Perspectives (Essay due Friday 11 September)

Semester Break: 14 - 27 September 

Week 8: Difference

Week 9: Rights

Week 10: Freedom

Week 11: Inequality (Quiz 2)

Week 12: Civil Disobedience 

Week 13: Take Home Exam (Due Friday 6 October 2020). 

 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct​

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to help you improve your marks and take control of your study.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Changes since First Published

Date Description
20/07/2020 Assessment dates for take home exam