Students

LAWS1000 – Foundations of Law

2023 – Session 1, Online-scheduled-weekday

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Senior Lecturer
George Tomossy
george.tomossy@mq.edu.au
Contact via via iLearn
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to LLB
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit will enable students to attain the key legal skills (legal research, reasoning, and writing; applying precedent; statutory interpretation; and legal problem solving) and to acquire the foundational legal knowledge (Australia legal institutions; legal theory; comparative legal systems; parliamentary process; role of the judiciary) necessary for further study in law. This unit will challenge students to apply their skills and knowledge to examine a contemporary socio-legal issue through a collaborative group project. Students will also engage in reflective practice.

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: Define, describe and relate sources of legal norms and foundational elements of the Australian legal system.
  • ULO2: Apply principles of academic honesty and rules for correct legal citation.
  • ULO3: Apply principles of statutory interpretation and the doctrine of precedent to interpret primary legal sources (case law and legislation) for the purpose of deriving legal rules and principles.
  • ULO4: Locate relevant primary and secondary sources through legal research using online databases, library resources and internet sources.
  • ULO5: Analyse legal problems in their broader social context

General Assessment Information

All written assessment tasks must be appropriately referenced, applying the Australian Guide to Legal Citation (4th ed). Written submissions must be submitted via Turnitin in .doc or .pdf formats. Further instructions and marking rubrics for assessments in the Unit will be provided on the unit's iLearn page. 

Students are advised that all assessments in this unit are 'hurdle' assessments, which means that each assessment task must be completed at a Satisfactory level (to the standard prescribed for each assessment task) in order to pass this unit as follows:

  • All online quizzes in this unit -- Legal Research and Referencing Quizzes (Task 2) and Foundations Quiz (Task 5) -- must achieve a minimum score of 75% correct answers on each quiz.
  • All criteria set out in grading rubrics for Tasks 1 (Class Participation), Task 3 (Core Skills Assignment) and Task 4 (Group Project) must be ticked off as Satisfactory.

In accordance with the University Assessment Policy, students must make a "serious first attempt" at a hurdle assessment task in order to qualify for an opportunity to submit supplementary work to achieve the required standard. Their performance in the unit must also be "otherwise satisfactory". Further instructions on what constitutes a "serious first attempt" and deadlines for supplementary work will be available on the unit's iLearn page.

This unit is ungraded and will not count towards a student's LAWS WAM (Weighted Average Mark in LAWS units) . Students will be awarded 'Satisfactory' or 'Fail' at the end of the unit.

Late Assessment Submission Penalty:

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted an approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of '0' (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11:55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue.

This late penalty will apply to non-timed sensitive assessment (incl essays, reports, posters, portfolios, journals, recordings etc). Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs etc) will only be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special Consideration application. A Special Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Class participation 10% Yes In Tutorials
Legal Research and Referencing Quizzes 15% Yes 17 March 2023 11:55pm
Core Skills Assignment 30% Yes 2 April 2023 11:55pm
Group Project 25% Yes Report: 14/5/23 11:55pm; Presentation: Tutorial (wks 11-13)
Foundations Quiz 20% Yes Quiz Open: 30/5/23 10am to 4/6/23 10pm

Class participation

Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 0 hours
Due: In Tutorials
Weighting: 10%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

 

Students will participate in weekly tutorials that will provide the opportunity to participate in set activities, including class and group discussion, debates, role plays and other activities.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Define, describe and relate sources of legal norms and foundational elements of the Australian legal system.
  • Apply principles of academic honesty and rules for correct legal citation.
  • Apply principles of statutory interpretation and the doctrine of precedent to interpret primary legal sources (case law and legislation) for the purpose of deriving legal rules and principles.
  • Locate relevant primary and secondary sources through legal research using online databases, library resources and internet sources.
  • Analyse legal problems in their broader social context

Legal Research and Referencing Quizzes

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: 17 March 2023 11:55pm
Weighting: 15%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

 

Consists of online multiple choice quizzes where students will demonstrate their ability to carry out legal research using online databases, library and internet sources, and rules for correct legal citation.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply principles of academic honesty and rules for correct legal citation.
  • Locate relevant primary and secondary sources through legal research using online databases, library resources and internet sources.

Core Skills Assignment

Assessment Type 1: Case study/analysis
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: 2 April 2023 11:55pm
Weighting: 30%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

 

A written assessment in which students will analyse and interpret primary legal sources.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply principles of academic honesty and rules for correct legal citation.
  • Apply principles of statutory interpretation and the doctrine of precedent to interpret primary legal sources (case law and legislation) for the purpose of deriving legal rules and principles.
  • Locate relevant primary and secondary sources through legal research using online databases, library resources and internet sources.

Group Project

Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: Report: 14/5/23 11:55pm; Presentation: Tutorial (wks 11-13)
Weighting: 25%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

 

Consists of a group report and group class presentation in which students aim to apply statutory interpretation skills to address a legal problem.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Define, describe and relate sources of legal norms and foundational elements of the Australian legal system.
  • Apply principles of academic honesty and rules for correct legal citation.
  • Apply principles of statutory interpretation and the doctrine of precedent to interpret primary legal sources (case law and legislation) for the purpose of deriving legal rules and principles.
  • Locate relevant primary and secondary sources through legal research using online databases, library resources and internet sources.
  • Analyse legal problems in their broader social context

Foundations Quiz

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: Quiz Open: 30/5/23 10am to 4/6/23 10pm
Weighting: 20%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

 

This timed online quiz requires students to demonstrate their understanding of foundational concepts necessary for further study in law attained derived from lectures and readings throughout the unit.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Define, describe and relate sources of legal norms and foundational elements of the Australian legal system.

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

Lectures for this unit are delivered face-to-face and will be recorded on Echo360, which can be accessed via the unit iLearn page.

Tutorials will be conducted face-to-face and/or online (via Zoom), commence in Week 1 and conclude in Week 13. Students should consult the official Timetable for class times, dates and locations (if face-to-face) and mode of delivery at a specified time at: http://timetables.mq.edu.au  Tutorials that fall on a public holiday will be rescheduled as online evening tutorials (via Zoom). Instructions for online tutorials via Zoom will be provided on the unit's iLearn page. 

Online content for this unit can be accessed at http://ilearn.mq.edu.au

Required Textbook:

  • Michelle Sanson and Thalia Anthony, Connecting with the Law (Oxford University Press, 5h ed, 2022).

Additional required and recommended reading materials will be posted at the unit’s iLearn page.

Computer and Internet access are required in order to successfully complete this unit. Basic computer skills (e.g., internet browsing) and skills in word processing are also a requirement.

Unit Schedule

Topic # Topics Covered
1 Foundations of Australian Law & Sources of Law I: Common Law, Equity, and Statute Law
2 Sources of Law II: Constitutional Law; Separation of Powers
3 Case Law and Case Analysis
4 Doctrine of Precedent; The Judiciary
5 Approaches to Judicial Reasoning
6 First Nations People and the Australian Legal System I
7 Statutory Interpretation I
8 Statutory Interpretation II
9 Statutory Interpretation III
10 Rule of Law
11 First Nations People and the Australian Legal System II
12 Solving Legal Problems
13 Law and Technology

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

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

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/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

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

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

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

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

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.

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 from Previous Offering

The assessment regime, delivery and required textbooks have changed since this unit was last offered.

Unit information based on version 2023.05 of the Handbook