LAWS3529: Australian Critical Legal Theory

2026 unit information

Critical legal studies is at the forefront of the development of legal theory and philosophy. Despite the term having a broad meaning and encompassing many disparate traditions, at its core it examines law as a social, political, and cultural phenomena and turns away from doctrinal conceptions which frame law as neutral, objective, and scientific. Traditional tellings of critical legal studies focus on post-structural thought in Europe and the civil rights movement the United States. But what might an Australian critical legal studies look like? This unit revives the essential traditions of critical legal theory, by moving away from traditions developed in Europe and North America, to instead journey critically through the legal theoretical traditions that came from and came to Australia. It does this in a concentric way commencing with critical traditions in First Nations’ conceptions of law, before moving to Pacific conceptions, Islamic conceptions, Dutch conceptions, and, finally, English conceptions of law and power. The unit engages in a method of close reading and critical discussion, reading fewer texts but reading them together with deep reflection, feeling, and debate.

Unit details and rules

Managing faculty or University school:

Sydney Law School

Details

Study level	Undergraduate
Academic unit	Law
Credit points	6

Enrolment rules

Prerequisites: ?	None
Corequisites: ?	None
Prohibitions: ?	LAWS5229
Assumed knowledge: ?	None

Learning outcomes

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

LO1. Critically evaluate the key tenets and intellectual foundations of the Critical Legal Studies movement, including contributions from First Nations perspectives, Pacific, Islamic, Dutch, and English traditions.
LO2. Analyse the impact of Critical Legal Studies on law and politics, public and private, and self and other, with a focus on Australian contexts.
LO3. Apply relevant legal research methodologies to synthesize diverse primary and secondary sources that examine philosophical, social, and political theories underpinning Critical Legal Studies.
LO4. Assess the reasons for the decline of the Critical Legal Studies movement and the emergence of post-critical legal theories, particularly in the Australian context.
LO5. Formulate and justify potential new approaches to legal theory that address contemporary global and social justice issues, using sound, logically constructed arguments.
LO6. Investigate the contemporary influence of Critical Legal Studies on current legal practices and reforms in Australia, with particular reference to First Nations perspectives.

Unit availability

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There are no availabilities for this year.

Session	MoA ?	Location	Outline ?
Semester 2 2026	Normal evening	Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney	Outline unavailable

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Modes of attendance (MoA)

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