Introduction To The Australian Legal System
UndergraduateLTU-LCR1ALS2025
Course information for 2025 intake
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Enrol by
- 23 Feb 2025
- Entry requirements
- Prior study needed
- Duration
- 12 weeks
- Start dates
- 3 Mar 2025,
- 28 July 2025
- Price from
- $2,124
- Upfront cost
- $0
- Loan available
- HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP available
Introduction To The Australian Legal System
About this subject
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Describe the structure of the Australian legal system.
- Explain the roles and functions of Australian legal institutions and actors.
- Understand the process by which law is created, interpreted, and applied.
- Demonstrate an awareness of the social and political context and impact of the Australian legal system.
- Demonstrate an ability to work collaboratively and communicate effectively to share and debate ideas.
- The sources of law in the Australian legal system
- Key principles of the Australian legal system
- The colonial foundations of the Australian legal system
- The relationship between the media and the law
- How to change the law
This subject is a critical introduction to the Australian legal system that addresses the operation, aims, and institutions of criminal justice. It equips students with foundational knowledge of the operation of criminal justice and how the legal system addresses basic questions of criminological and sociological importance. The subject addresses the relationship between crime and law in Australia; the making of laws by the Parliament and Courts; venues and methods of legal adjudication and interpretation; and the complex interactions between actors that comprise the legal system, including lawyers, police, magistrates and the media. The sustainability of the legal system is evaluated in its historical, ethical, economic and social context.
- Online tests (500 words equivalent) throughout semester that assess students’ understanding of key concepts and readings (10%)
- In-class group exercises (1,000 words equivalent). (25%)
- Skills-based activities designed to develop understanding of key concepts and key academic skills (1,000 words equivalent). (30%)
- Assignment (1,500 words). (35%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
The third university established in Victoria, La Trobe University has a diverse community of more than 38,000 students and staff. Its commitment to excellence in teaching and research prepares students to make a bold and positive impact in today's global community. La Trobe provides Open Universities Australia with its core tenets, entrepreneurship and sustainability.
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- QS Ranking 2024:
- 17
- Times Higher Education Ranking 2024:
- 18
Entry requirements
Others
Past La Trobe University students who have previously completed LAW1LIM (Legal Institutions And Methods) are ineligible to enrol in this subject.
Additional requirements
No additional requirements
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.
Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.
What to study next?
Once you’ve completed this subject it can be credited towards one of the following courses
UndergraduateLAT-ART-DIP
UndergraduateLAT-ART-DEG
UndergraduateLAT-HSC-DEG
UndergraduateLAT-BUS-DEG
Bachelor of Information Technology
UndergraduateLAT-TEC-DEG
Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Health Sciences
UndergraduateLAT-AHS-DEG
UndergraduateLAT-CYS-DEG
UndergraduateLAT-HSC-DIP
Bachelor of Psychological Science
UndergraduateLAT-PYS-DEG
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