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Unit of study_
LAWS3451: Media Law: Contempt and Open Justice
2025 unit information
The daily practice of journalism is affected by a range of common law principles and statutory provisions This unit of study seeks to examine some of the most significant practical constraints on the media It examines in detail contempt of court the principle of open justice and suppression orders It considers contempt of parliament and other restrictions of the reporting of parliamentary proceedings It also analyses the law relating to the disclosure of journalists sources and the impact of freedom of information laws on the media This unit of study seeks to provide not only a thorough doctrinal analysis of these areas of law but also seeks to locate them within their broader historical international comparative political and policy contexts
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Sydney Law School
| Study level | Undergraduate |
|---|---|
| Academic unit | Law |
| Credit points | 6 |
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Prerequisites:
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None |
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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LAWS5151 |
| Assumed knowledge:
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None |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. Analyse how legislation and case law regulate media practices in the collection and publication of material.
- LO2. Critically evaluate the concept of “free speech” and assess how legal protections are balanced with competing public interests.
- LO3. Apply relevant legal research methodologies and critical analysis to complex legal issues in media law and effectively communicate findings to general and specialist audiences.
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
This refers to the Mode of attendance (MoA) for the unit as it appears when you’re selecting your units in Sydney Student. Find more information about modes of attendance on our website.
