Students

LAWS1000 – Foundations of Law

2026 – Session 2, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Convenor/Tutor
Tony Antoniou
Contact via Contact via iLearn
Michael Kirby Building, 17 Wally's Walk, Level 3, Room 320
By appointment in person or by Zoom
Amanda Head
amanda.head@mq.edu.au
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. 

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
  • ULO6: Communicate, interact and collaborate professionally and effectively in verbal and non-verbal contexts across diverse settings.
  • ULO7: Work independently, meet deadlines and take initiative.

General Assessment Information

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).

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI Approach
Professional Skills 30% No Weekly and Ongoimg (Week 1-13) Individual No Observed
Practice-Based Task 20% No 07/09/2026 Individual Yes Open
Exam 50% No During Exam Period. Date and Time TBA Individual No Observed

Professional Skills

Assessment Type 1: Professional task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 0 hours
Due: Weekly and Ongoimg (Week 1-13)
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Observed

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:
  • 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
  • Communicate, interact and collaborate professionally and effectively in verbal and non-verbal contexts across diverse settings.
  • Work independently, meet deadlines and take initiative.

Practice-Based Task

Assessment Type 1: Practice-based task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 07/09/2026
Weighting: 20%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open

An assessment on professional skills and knowledge relevant to the unit. This could be a legal or policy brief, a report, an essay, a law reform proposal, case brief, 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:
  • 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.
  • Communicate, interact and collaborate professionally and effectively in verbal and non-verbal contexts across diverse settings.
  • Work independently, meet deadlines and take initiative.

Exam

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: During Exam Period. Date and Time TBA
Weighting: 50%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Observed

An invigilated exam held in the formal examination period. The exam may cover any or all topics and materials covered in 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.
  • 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.

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
  • Academic Success 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.

3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.

Delivery and Resources

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

Tutorials will be conducted face-to-face and commence in Week 1 and conclude in Week 13. Students should consult the official Timetable for class times, dates and locations 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). 

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

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.

Unit Schedule

Week 1: Introduction to the Unit, Common Law, Equity & Statute

Week 2: Legal Institutions

Week 3: Case Analysis

Week 4: Judicial Reasoning and the Doctrine of Precedent

Week 5: Legal Problem Solving

Week 6: First Nations Peoples I

Week 7: Statutory Interpretation I

Week 8: Statutory Interpretation II

Week 9: Statutory Interpretation III

Week 10: Separation of Powers & Judicial Philosophies

Week 11: Statutory Interpretation Continued

Week 12: Group Project

Week 13: Group Project

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 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.

Student Support

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

Academic Success

Academic Success 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 the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit https://students.mq.edu.au/support/technology/service-desk. 

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 2026.04 of the Handbook