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Unit of study_
LAWS5228: The Commonwealth and the Common Law
2024 unit information
This unit of study examines the origins and development of the Australian state and its legal system. Starting from a selection of pivotal judgments, we will examine a series of historical debates about moral and political economy under themes of empire, state and nation, persons and markets. We will do so through a close reading of major thinkers on law and social theory, including Harold Laski, Judith Shklar, Robert Nozick and Amartya Sen. Students will use legal theory to reflect on Australian constitutional and private law, and so build on their existing doctrinal knowledge to further develop their critical reading and writing skills in relation to significant contemporary problems.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Law
| Code | LAWS5228 |
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| 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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None |
| Assumed knowledge:
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None |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. Analyse and synthesise theories of the state and legal philosophy.
- LO2. Evaluate and apply critiques of the modern capitalist state to the Australian constitution.
- LO3. Evaluate and apply different theorists of law and the state, and so further develop critical reading and writing skills to interpret and transmit knowledge in an essay format.
- LO4. Critically reflect in groups on the readings through class discussion exercises.
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.
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There are no availabilities for previous years.
Modes of attendance (MoA)
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