Outline

Overview

This unit examines legal and policy frameworks for the management of coastal and marine areas - both generally and considering Australia as a specific case study. The unit will suit both international and national students who want to increase their understanding of coastal- and marine-related issues. Topics addressed include relevant international treaties generally; different international marine zones; the characteristics of Australian coastal and marine environments; the constitutional framework for the management of offshore areas; the regulation of marine and coastal pollution; creation and regulation of marine parks and reserves; fisheries management; the regulation of offshore oil and gas resource extraction; and responses to the impacts of climate change on coastal and marine environments. Refer to the Sydney Law School timetable - https://canvas.sydney.edu.au/courses/4533/pages/postgraduate-lecture-timetable

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Law
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Ed Couzens, ed.couzens@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 31 March 2025

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Research Essay (60%) Research Essay	0%	Formal exam period Due date: 10 Jun 2025 at 17:00 Closing date: 24 Jun 2025	5,000 words / 9 weeks
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Alternative Capstone Essay (80%) Capstone essay	0%	Formal exam period Due date: 10 Jun 2025 at 17:00 Closing date: 24 Jun 2025	7,000 words / 10 weeks
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Class Presentation (10%) Presentation on a prepared topic in a mock conference event	0%	Multiple weeks	5 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Short release assignment	Preparation Assessment Task (0%) Response to short question regarding approaches to research	0%	Week 02 Due date: 06 Mar 2025 at 09:00 Closing date: 06 Mar 2025	1000 words / 5 working days
Outcomes assessed:
Short release assignment	Proposal for alternative Capstone Essay (0%) Written proposal for Capstone Essay	0%	Week 04 Due date: 20 Mar 2025 at 23:59 Closing date: 20 Mar 2025	500 words / 10 working days
Outcomes assessed:
Short release assignment	Short-release Problem-type Assignment (30%) Problem- and/or drafting-style question	0%	Week 08 Due date: 14 Apr 2025 at 08:59 Closing date: 14 Apr 2025	2,500 words / 10 working days
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Preparation Assessment Task – Compulsory (0%):

By Thursday, 27 February 2025 at 5:00pm, a short question will be released, with answers (max 1,000 words) to be submitted through Canvas by 9:00am on Thursday 6 March 2025 (Sydney, Australia time). The aim of this submission will be to ascertain individual students’ approaches to research and referencing.

Class presentation (10%):

Instructions will be provided on or before Thursday 6 March 2025. Depending on class size, students will be allocated presentation topics to present in selected weeks; or all will be allocated to the final day of the unit (Thursday 29 May 2025). A workshop/exercise will be run on a particular issue, with a presentation topic unique to each student. This workshop/exercise will take the form of a mock conference event on a particular environmental problem in selected weeks or in the mock conference. Students will each present for approximately 5 minutes on a prepared topic. It is expected that students will be sufficiently prepared to participate actively in the workshop/exercise, and will so participate.

2,500 word short-release problem-type assignment (30%):

This assessment will be by way of a problem- and/or drafting-style question which will be released by 8:59am on Monday 31 March 2025 and due by 8:59am on Monday 14 April 2025 (Sydney, Australia time). Although this is a problem- and/or drafting-style assignment, it is expected that students will approach answering this as a Masters-level research undertaking, and research and engage with issues appropriately, with appropriate referencing, following instructions given with the topic. No submissions will be accepted after the due date and simple extensions will not be granted/permitted. If any student is granted special consideration, then an alternate assessment will need to be submitted. The due date for such alternate assessment will be determined by the coordinator when the alternative topic is distributed.

5,000 word research essay (60%):

Choose one of the topics provided which will be released on Canvas before the end of 7 April 2025, with instructions. The research essay is due on Tuesday 10 June 2025 (Sydney, Australia time) at 5:00pm.

Proposal for Alternative Capstone essay (0%)

Students who wish to apply to undertake the Capstone rather than the essay must notify the unit coordinator of this intention by 6 March 2025 and submit a 500-word proposal on the form (which will be supplied by the unit coordinator on application) by Thursday 20 March 2025 at 11:59pm (Sydney, Australia time).

Alternative 7,000 word LLM Capstone essay (80%)

LLM students completing the penultimate or final units of their degrees and who must complete a Capstone essay as a degree requirement must provide a proposal to the unit coordinator as detailed above, in the form provided by the coordinator on application. The Capstone essay may not be completed without approval from the unit coordinator. The due date for the Alternative Capstone Essay is 5:00pm on Tuesday 10 June 2025 (Sydney, Australia time). The essay topic must be relevant to the material covered in the unit; should build on work already completed in the degree; may not recycle work already submitted for assessment in the degree, except and only with specific permission and appropriate referencing. The capstone essay (80%) replaces the 5,000 word essay (60%) and the other assessment tasks are adjusted as follows: class presentation weighted 5%, and problem-type short-release assignment word count reduced to 1,250 words and weighted 15%.

Word limit penalty:

A piece of assessment which exceeds the prescribed word limit will attract a penalty of 5% of the total marks available for the piece of assessment for every 100 words over. The total word count for essay and other written assessments will exclude all footnotes and any bibliography (if required), and exclude acknowledgements of permissible assistance from editors, automated writing tools or generative AI (where use is permitted).

Use of editors or proof-readers:

Use of editors or proof-readers: The use of assistance in preparing and editing assessment tasks in this unit of study is strictly prohibited. Assistance includes human and automated writing tools (not including spell checking).

Special consideration:

Successful grants of Special Consideration may involve alternative tasks, as appropriate.

Assessment requirements to pass a unit of study:

A student must make a genuine attempt at all assessment tasks set out in this Unit of Study in order to obtain a Pass mark and grade (or above); otherwise an Absent Fail grade will be recorded as the student’s result for this Unit of Study.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2021 (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	Completely answers the question. Contains striking originality of approach or analysis. Demonstrates exhaustive or innovative research (where independent research required). Exceptionally well written, structured and expressed. Is otherwise exceptional in some way.
Distinction	75 - 84	Completely answers the question. Achieves a critical and evaluative approach to the issues. Content and structure is well organised in support of the argument. Demonstrates extensive research and analysis to support a well-documented argument. Generally well expressed and free from errors. Has a clear structure and is well articulated.
Credit	65 - 74	Covers main issues fairly well in answering the question. Contains no significant errors. Demonstrates an attempted critical approach to the issues. Demonstrates reasonably sound research and analysis in addressing the key issues. Has a clear structure and reasonably clear expression.
Pass	50 - 64	Identifies the key issues, but does not follow through with a reasoned argument. Contains some significant errors. Displays satisfactory engagement with the key issues. Offers descriptive summary of material relevant to the question. Superficial use of material, and may display a tendency to paraphrase. Demonstrates little evidence of in-depth research or analysis. Adequate expression. Demonstrates the minimum level of competence and satisfies the requirements to proceed to higher-level studies.
Fail	0 - 49	Does not answer the question. Contains significant or numerous errors. Few or no identifiable arguments. Content that is inappropriate or irrelevant. Lack of research or analysis. Difficult or impossible to understand through poor grammar, expression or structure. Overall, does not demonstrate the minimum level of competence in the assessment.

For more information see guide to grades.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

Except for supervised exams or in-semester tests, you may use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessments unless expressly prohibited by your unit coordinator.

For exams and in-semester tests, the use of AI and automated writing tools is not allowed unless expressly permitted in the assessment instructions.

The icons in the assessment table above indicate whether AI is allowed – whether full AI, or only some AI (the latter is referred to as “AI restricted”). If no icon is shown, AI use is not permitted at all for the task. Refer to Canvas for full instructions on assessment tasks for this unit.

Your final submission must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of automated writing tools or generative AI, and any material generated that you include in your final submission must be properly referenced. You may be required to submit generative AI inputs and outputs that you used during your assessment process, or drafts of your original work. Inappropriate use of generative AI is considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

The Current Students website provides information on artificial intelligence in assessments. For help on how to correctly acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the  AI in Education Canvas site.

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.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

The late submission of a piece of assessment, without an approved extension, will attract a penalty of 5% of the total marks available for the piece of assessment per 24 hours or part thereof, after the due time on the due date. For example, a submission after the due time specified in the assessment summary but before the same time the following day will attract a 5% penalty.

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.

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.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction to Australia’s Coastal and Marine Environment Introduction to Threats to the Marine Environment: Australia and Worldwide	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 02	The International Legal Framework: The Law of the Sea and International Environmental Law	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 03	The International Legal Framework: Various Conventions	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 04	Australian Maritime Zones and Boundaries and the Constitutional and Legal Framework	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 05	Integrated Coastal and Ocean Management; Marine Parks and Reserves; Coastal Development	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 06	Fisheries Management: Australia and Worldwide	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 07	Marine Mammal Conservation in Australia; Whales and whaling in Australia	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 08	Continental Shelf and Offshore Resources	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 09	Sea Country: Native Title in Coastal and Marine Areas	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 10	Maritime Regulation and Enforcement	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 11	Shipping, Navigation, Naval and Maritime Law	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 12	Naval defence and warfare	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 13	Workshop, class presentations, overflow, revision and wrap	Seminar (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: All students are required to attend 70% of classes to satisfy the pass requirements for this unit. Failure to meet this requirement will result in an Absent Fail grade being recorded as the student’s result for this unit (see The University of Sydney Law School Resolutions: Coursework Awards cl 11).

Referencing: The Sydney Law School expects you to use the Australian Guide to Legal Citation (4th edition, 2018) for your footnoting style, although you should confirm this with your lecturer, and a link to the library website where this is set out comprehensively is available at https://libguides.library.usyd.edu.au/c.php?g=508212&p=3476376

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

Prescribed readings for this unit may be accessed through the Library and will be listed in the unit's reading guide on Canvas.

The key texts for the unit are:

* Australia State of the Environment 2021: Coasts (Graeme Clark, Mibu Fischer and Cass Hunter: Commonwealth of Australia, 2021) - DOI:10.26194/AANZ-RF46.

* Australia State of the Environment 2021: Marine (Rowan Trebilco, Mibu Fischer, Cass Hunter, Alistair Hobday, Linda Thomas and Karen Evans: Commonwealth of Australia, 2021) - DOI:10.26194/nvaa-rf92.

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. Identify and describe the physical and ecological attributes of Australian coastal and marine environments, and communicate their significance from a legal perspective, referencing specific statutes and case law.
LO2. Critically evaluate the interactions between the Australian maritime domain and coastal and marine environment with international sea law, using case study analysis to exemplify the impact of these laws.
LO3. Critically assess Australia’s maritime zones, boundaries, and constitutional and legal mechanisms, clearly differentiating between sovereignty, jurisdiction, and management of coastal and marine settings, with a focus on the application of these concepts to current maritime disputes.
LO4. Critically analyse principal methods and strategies for coastal and environmental management, emphasizing integrated coastal and ocean management approaches, and evaluate the effectiveness of these strategies in addressing specific coastal and marine law challenges.
LO5. Evaluate the transformative effects of climate changes on coastal and marine ecosystems, integrating scientific data to assess the implications for pollution, conservation, and resource management, and propose adaptive legal strategies.

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.

Changes have been made to the teaching team; the learning outcomes; the learning activities; the assessment regime; and the prescribed readings.

Additional information

Resources - Sydney Law students

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

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

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

LAWS6314: Coastal and Marine Law

Semester 1, 2025 [Normal evening] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

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