All written assessments submitted electronically must be submitted through the link provided in iLearn. This unit will utilise Turnitin plagiarism detection software. Students should carefully check that they submit the correct file for an assessment, as re-submissions will not be accepted after the due date and time, including instances where students upload an incorrect file in error.

The design, moderation and feedback of all assessments is in accordance with the Macquarie University Assessment Procedure (link provided under ‘Policies and Procedures’ below).

Late Submission Policy

A maximum penalty of five (5) percentage points of the total possible marks will be applied per day to late submissions, for up to a maximum of seven calendar days. Tasks that have not been submitted within the maximum number of additional late days will receive a mark of zero. This provision does not apply to exams or other assessment with a time limit of less than 24 hours.

Penalties for late submission will be applied consistently and equitably to all students enrolled in the unit. Where short-term, serious and unavoidable circumstances have affected their ability to submit an assessment task, a student must submit a formal application for Special Consideration as per the Special Consideration Policy. Students should not request an informal arrangement from their tutor, lecturer or Unit Convenor.

Where an application for Special Consideration is approved, and the outcome is an extension to the due date of a task, submissions that are received after the new due date will be subject to late penalties that are calculated from the new due date. This only applies where the outcome is an extension to the due date – see the Special Consideration Policy for a schedule of all possible outcomes.

Special Consideration

Students should submit applications for Special Consideration electronically via the Service Connect portal, along with the supporting documentation. Before submitting their applications, students should refer to the Special Consideration Policy (link provided under ‘Policies and Procedures’ below).

Lectures: There is a weekly one-hour face-to-face lecture from weeks 1 to 10 and a revision lecture in week 12. The lectures will also be live-streamed and recorded.  Students are expected to attend and listen to the lectures and work their way through the other materials on a weekly basis. All lecture recordings and associated slides will be accessible through iLearn.

Tutorials: There is a weekly two-hour face-to-face tutorial on campus from weeks 1 to 13 for students.

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.

Required Textbook:

• David Hamer et al., Laying Down the Law (LexisNexis, 12th ed, 2023).

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.

Topics include:

• Foundations of Australian Law
• Sources of Law: Common Law, Equity, and Statute Law
• Legal Institutions
• Solving Legal Problems
• Case Law and Case Analysis
• Judicial Reasoning and the Doctrine of Precendent
• First Nations People and the Australian Legal System
• Statutory Interpretation
• Separation of Powers and Judicial Philosophies

This unit is now graded and has an invigilated exam. The weighting of assessments has also changed.