Outline

Overview

All business conduct is regulated by the law. Every transaction and every relationship is governed by an increasingly complex mix of statutory and judge-made laws. The ability to identify and manage legal risks, and knowledge of compliance and dispute resolution strategies, are essential business management skills. This unit examines the legal framework and regulatory regime within which all businesses operate in Australia and in a global economy. It introduces students to the legal implications of commercial conduct and provides an overview of the Australian legal system and threshold legal concepts of agreement, ownership, and civil and criminal liability. Key areas of substantive business law are examined including contracts, torts (in particular negligence and the economic torts), property and securities, and crime. The unit also provides students with an overview of areas of legal regulation with an increasingly significant impact on business operations including: privacy, intellectual property rights, competition law, consumer law (in particular advertising regulation, product liability and unfair contracts), misleading conduct and unconscionable conduct.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	CLAW5001
Academic unit
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Patty Kamvounias, patty.kamvounias@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Final exam	Final exam Written exam	60%	Formal exam period	2 hours
Outcomes assessed:
In-semester test	Mid-semester quiz Online MCQ quiz	20%	Week 06	30 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Written assignment Written response to a legal problem question.	20%	Week 08	1,250 words
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ?

Assessment summary

Mid-semester quiz: The mid-semester quiz will be completed online and will be comprised of multiple-choice questions. The mid-semester quiz will be an open book exam. See Canvas for further details.
Written assignment: The written assignment must be submitted online via Turnitin and will be comprised of a legal problem question designed to assess understanding of the relevant topics and the ability to critically analyse and apply the law to a given fact scenario. See Canvas for further details.
Final exam: The final exam will be completed online and will be comprised of legal problem questions designed to assess understanding of the topics examined and the ability to critically analyse and apply the law to given fact scenarios under exam conditions. The final exam will be an open book exam. See Canvas for further details.
The final exam is listed as a HURDLE TASK which means you must undertake the assessment and achieve a mark above a minimum standard. The minimum standard required to be achieved is 40%. Students who fail to achieve this minimum standard in this assessment, even when their aggregate mark for the entire unit is above 50%, will be given a Fail grade for the unit. As a result, a student's academic transcript will show a Fail grade and the actual mark achieved if between 0-49 and a Fail grade and a capped moderated mark of 49 for all other final marks.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an exceptional standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Distinction	75 - 84	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a very high standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Credit	65 - 74	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a good standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Pass	50 - 64	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an acceptable standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction to CLAW5001 and to the Australian legal system	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 02	Threshold legal concepts 1: analysing legislation and case law	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 03	Threshold legal concepts 2: individual and corporate liabilities	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 04	Overview of the law of contract: making the contract - agreement	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 05	Overview of the law of contract: making the contract - intention, consideration, privity of contract	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 06	Mid-semester exam	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 07	Overview of the law of contract: contents of the contract	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 08	Overview of the law of contract: factors affecting the contract, ending the contract, remedies	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 09	Statutory restraints on freedom of contact: unfair contract terms, unconscionable conduct, anti-competitive agreements	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 10	Overview of the law of torts	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 11	Product liability and the Australian Consumer Law	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 12	Misleading or deceptive conduct and the Australian Consumer Law	Lecture (3 hr)
Week 13	Revision for final exam	Lecture (3 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Lecture recordings: All lectures and seminars are recorded and will be available on Canvas for student use. Please note the Business School does not own the lecture recording system and cannot guarantee that the system will operate or that every class will be recorded. Students should ensure they attend and participate in all classes.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Andrew Terry and Des Giugni, Business and the Law (Thomson Reuters, 7th ed, 2019).

Additional resources, references and materials are also available on the CLAW5001 Canvas site.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. describe and discuss the legal framework within which business operates in Australia
LO2. identify and analyse legal issues arising from given fact situations in business contexts
LO3. resolve problems by applying the relevant legal principles, evaluating the possible solutions and developing logical and coherent arguments to support conclusions
LO4. communicate about the law, orally and in writing, to a professional standard
LO5. work collaboratively with people from diverse backgrounds with inclusiveness and integrity.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

All lecture materials and resources are updated each semester to ensure they remain current and relevant.

Additional information

Additional information can be found on the CLAW5001 Canvas site.

Business School Policies

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

CLAW5001: Legal Environment of Business

Semester 1, 2020 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect