Students

LAWS2100 – Jurisprudence

2023 – Session 2, Online-scheduled-weekday

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor
Andrea Dolcetti
andrea.dolcetti@mq.edu.au
Contact via iLearn
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
60cp including LAWS1000 or LAW115
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
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
  • ULO3: Apply theoretical knowledge to real-life situations and topical controversies
  • ULO2: Evaluate the law and legal institutions from a normative perspective.
  • ULO4: Develop the ability to build and communicate theoretical legal arguments under time pressure.

General Assessment Information

Late penalty policy

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and 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. Special Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Essay 40% No 13/09/23 (23:55 Sydney time)
Take home exam 40% No 8/11/23, 9:45 - 13:00 (15 min reading time + 3-hour exam)
Class Participation 20% No Every week

Essay

Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: 13/09/23 (23:55 Sydney time)
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
  • Apply theoretical knowledge to real-life situations and topical controversies
  • Evaluate the law and legal institutions from a normative perspective.
  • 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: 15 hours
Due: 8/11/23, 9:45 - 13:00 (15 min reading time + 3-hour exam)
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
  • Apply theoretical knowledge to real-life situations and topical controversies
  • Evaluate the law and legal institutions from a normative perspective.
  • Develop the ability to build and communicate theoretical legal arguments under time pressure.

Class Participation

Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 0 hours
Due: Every week
Weighting: 20%

 

Participation in tutorial discussions, debates and presentations.

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

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

Weekly F2F lecture - Monday, 5:00pm to 6:00pm, in the Lotus Theatre (27 Wally's Walk) + weekly pre-recorded lecture

Weekly tutorials commencing in week 2

Textbook: B. Bix, Jurisprudence: Theory and Context, Sweet & Maxwell, 2023 (9th Edition)

For more info, including your reading list, please refer to the iLearn page and Leganto

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.

Unit information based on version 2023.03 of the Handbook