11 VCE LEGAL STUDIES (11HLS1)

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General Information

Curriculum Overview

Pathways

The Course

In Unit 1, students develop an understanding of legal foundations, such as the different types and sources of law and the existence of a court hierarchy in Victoria. Students investigate key concepts of criminal law and civil law and apply these to actual and/or hypothetical scenarios to determine whether an accused may be found guilty of a crime, or liable in a civil dispute.

Unit 2 focuses on the enforcement of criminal law and civil law, the methods and institutions that may be used to determine a criminal case or resolve a civil dispute, and the purposes and types of sanctions and remedies and their effectiveness.

Unit 1 Topics

Legal foundations - includes the characteristics, sources and types of law

• the role of individuals and laws in creating social cohesion and protecting rights of the community
• Characteristics of an effective law
• The relationship between Parliament in making laws and courts in interpreting laws
• the difference between civil and criminal law

 

The presumption of innocence - looks at criminal law in detail

• the purpose of criminal law
• Classifying types of crimes - crimes aginst the person such as murder, crimes against property such as arson
• Distinguishing between serious crimes (indictable offences) and minor crimes (summary offences)
• Classifying the participants in a crime as the principle offender or an accessory
• Looking at case studies to apply this knowledge 

 

Civil liability - looks at key concepts and areas of civil law in detail

• The purpose of civil law
• the burden and standard of proof required for a civil case
• Types of civil law which can include defamation, negligence and tresspass
• Looking at case studies to apply this knowledge 

Unit 2 Topics

Sanctions - CRIMINAL LAW

• Institutions that enforce criminal law
• An overview of victorian courts and the types of criminal cases they hear
• The role of a jury in a criminal case
• The purposes of sanctions 
• Types of sanctions (fines, imprisonment and community correction orders)
• Sentencing practises and factors that are taken into consideration by the judge during sentencing
• Looking at and analysing recent criminal cases to apply the above knowledge 

Remedies - CIVIL LAW

• Different ways to try and resolve a civil dispute (mediation, conciliation etc)
• An overview of victorian courts and the types of civil cases they hear
• The role of a jury in a civil case
• The purposes of remedies 
• Types of remedies (damages and injunctions)
• Looking at and analysing recent civil cases to apply the above knowledge 

Rights - looks at how rights are protected in Australia and cases that have impacted on our rights

• Look at how rights are protected through our Constitution
• Look at how rights are proected through state law and common law
• The influence of international declarations and treaties on the protection of rights in Australia
• Other countries approach to protecting rights and possible changes to how we protect rights
• Look at court cases that have had an impact on the protection of rights in Australia

Learning and Assessment Activities

Tasks can be presented orally, in writing or using presentation technology, as chosen by the teacher.

• Structured questions
• A role-play
• A folio of exercises
• A classroom presentation 
• A report 
• A debate
• A question and answer session

These units lead to

An education in law teaches powerful critical thinking and reasoning skills that enhance intellectual capabilities in all areas of a person's life. Students studying law also develop presentation skills through mock trials, clinics and classroom discussion. Knowledge of the law also means becoming familiar with law-specific language and being able to interpret it for others. An education in law is useful for careers in government, human resources and other areas. Studying legal studies can lead to pursuing a career as a law clerk, solicitor, barrister, judge, etc.

Special considerations

It is advisable to undertake Units 1 and 2 Legal Studies before undertaking Units 3 and 4 Legal Studies, but this is not strictly needed.

Costs involved

There is an excursion to the Supreme and County Courts in Melbourne costing approximately $30 each year. When available every second year students also visit Barwon Prison in Geelong. Textbooks are approximately $100

Materials required

Textbook, Legal notes book, and stationary.

For further information see...

Miss Burton

Study design link

VCAA VCE Legal Studies Index Page