Students
LAWS5065 – Dispute Management and Resolution
2025 – Session 2, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde
General Information
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| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor & Tutor
Jack Ellis
Contact via iLearn Messenger
Lecturer
Therese MacDermott
Contact via iLearn Messenger
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|---|---|
| Credit points |
Credit points
10
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| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
130cp in LAW or LAWS units
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| Corequisites |
Corequisites
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| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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| Unit description |
Unit description
Dispute resolution schemes now dominate the practice of law at many levels. This unit explores various types of dispute resolution processes with an emphasis on negotiation, mediation, conciliation, arbitration and restorative justice. The unit provides an overview of the theory, philosophy, process, ethical and legal issues involved in each of these methods of dispute resolution. Through experiential role plays, discussions, exercises and research, students will be introduced to the skills required to advise on and participate in conflict resolution and management.
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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: Describe and critique the various types of dispute resolution processes in operation in Australia and other jurisdictions.
- ULO2: Demonstrate and apply the necessary skills required in alternative methods of resolving disputes, including in teams.
- ULO3: Identify, research and analyse the legal issues surrounding the practice of dispute resolution in Australia.
- ULO4: Research and critique the relevant ethical considerations in dispute resolution and management processes.
- ULO5: Identify and apply the applicable dispute resolution process to the nature of the dispute and the participants in that dispute.
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional Skills | 10% | No | Ongoing During Tutorials |
| Practice-Based Task | 40% | No | 11:55pm on Tuesday, 7 October 2025 |
| Role Play report | 30% | No | 11:55pm on Monday, 27 October 2025 |
| Final Assessment | 20% | No | 3pm to 5pm - Thursday 20 November 2025 |
Professional Skills
Assessment Type 1: Practice-based task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 0 hours
Due: Ongoing During Tutorials
Weighting: 10%
Students will engage in classroom activities including mooting, presentations or demonstrations, structured discussion and problem solving, doctrinal analysis, simulated client consultations, and collaborative legal research. Through these activities students will develop skills in oral advocacy, legal analysis, critical reasoning, teamwork and team leadership, and/or strategic problem-solving. These activities are designed to strengthen students' ability to communicate legal concepts verbally and engage professionally within a supportive learning environment.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Describe and critique the various types of dispute resolution processes in operation in Australia and other jurisdictions.
- Demonstrate and apply the necessary skills required in alternative methods of resolving disputes, including in teams.
- Identify, research and analyse the legal issues surrounding the practice of dispute resolution in Australia.
Practice-Based Task
Assessment Type 1: Practice-based task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 24 hours
Due: 11:55pm on Tuesday, 7 October 2025
Weighting: 40%
An assessment on professional skills and knowledge relevant to the unit. This could be a legal or policy brief, a report, an essay, a role play, a law reform proposal, legal pleadings or other related professional task. This assessment may require students to prepare a response through research and adhere to discipline-specific scholarly conventions.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Describe and critique the various types of dispute resolution processes in operation in Australia and other jurisdictions.
- Identify, research and analyse the legal issues surrounding the practice of dispute resolution in Australia.
- Research and critique the relevant ethical considerations in dispute resolution and management processes.
- Identify and apply the applicable dispute resolution process to the nature of the dispute and the participants in that dispute.
Role Play report
Assessment Type 1: Practice-based task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 11:55pm on Monday, 27 October 2025
Weighting: 30%
A report that includes a reflective element based on the negotiation role play and skills practiced in tutorials. The report may also include a research element.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Identify and reflect on the negotiation skills and knowledge of negotiation theory that you demonstrated in your Role Play.
- Describe and critique the various types of dispute resolution processes in operation in Australia which may be relevant to the nature of the dispute at the centre of the Role Play.
- Research and critique the relevant ethical considerations in dispute resolution and management processes.
- Identify and apply applicable dispute resolution processes relevant to the nature of the dispute and the participants in that dispute.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Describe and critique the various types of dispute resolution processes in operation in Australia and other jurisdictions.
- Identify, research and analyse the legal issues surrounding the practice of dispute resolution in Australia.
- Research and critique the relevant ethical considerations in dispute resolution and management processes.
- Identify and apply the applicable dispute resolution process to the nature of the dispute and the participants in that dispute.
Final Assessment
Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: 3pm to 5pm - Thursday 20 November 2025
Weighting: 20%
A time based assessment requiring a written advice on an aspect of conflict resolution.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Describe and critique the various types of dispute resolution processes in operation in Australia and other jurisdictions.
- Identify, research and analyse the legal issues surrounding the practice of dispute resolution in Australia.
- Identify and apply the applicable dispute resolution process to the nature of the dispute and the participants in that dispute.
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
Delivery
Lectures: One recorded lecture per week (1 hour) delivered by Prof. Therese MacDermott
Tutorials: One in-person or online tutorial per fortnight (i.e. 2 hours, every second week) delivered by Jack Ellis.
This unit is worth 10 credit points, which equates to 150 hours of work. Therefore, students should expect to commit an average of 10 hours per week to this unit, including all scheduled and unscheduled activities and preparing and executing the assessment tasks.
Resources
The required textbook/s is/are: Spencer, Barry and Akin Ojelabi, Dispute Resolution in Australia (5th ed. 2023 Lawbook Co.) Students can purchase these textbooks online from online resellers such as Booktopia, Amazon and Zookal. Additional readings will be accessible through iLearn.
Students require access to a computer, internet with decent speed and a secure/reliable server. The iLearn page contains all Unit requirements and a weekly schedule for teaching, readings and tutorials. Information about all assessment tasks is also available on iLearn.
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:
- Academic Appeals Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progression Policy
- Assessment Policy
- Fitness to Practice Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Complaints Resolution Procedure for Students and Members of the Public
- Special Consideration Policy
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 connect.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.
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Academic Success
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- Workshops
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Unit information based on version 2025.04 of the Handbook