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VCE Legal Studies (Units 1 and 2)
Subject Length: 2 semesters
Subject Fee: No Fee
Units 1 and 2 VCE Legal Studies examines the institutions and principles that are essential to the Australian legal system. Students develop an understanding of the rule of law, law-makers, legal institutions, the relationship between the people and the Australian Constitution, the protection of rights in Australia, and the Victorian justice system.
Through applying knowledge of legal concepts and principles to a range of actual and / or hypothetical scenarios, students develop an ability to use legal reasoning to argue a case for or against a party in a civil or criminal matter.
The study is made up of two units across the academic year:
Unit 1: The presumption of innocence
In this unit, students develop an understanding of legal foundations, such as the different types and sources of law, the characteristics of an effective law, and an overview of parliament and the courts. Students are introduced to and apply the principles of justice. They investigate key concepts of criminal law and apply these to actual and/or hypothetical scenarios to determine whether an accused may be found guilty of a crime.
Unit 2: Wrongs and rights
In this unit, students investigate key concepts of civil law and apply these to actual and/or hypothetical scenarios to determine whether a party is liable in a civil dispute. Students explore different areas of civil law, and the methods and institutions that may be used to resolve a civil dispute and provide remedies. Students will develop an understanding of how human rights are protected in Australia and possible reforms to the protection of rights, and investigate a contemporary human rights issue in Australia, with a specific focus on one case study.
Assessment
Students will be required to complete a range of assessment tasks to demonstrate their understanding of the concepts covered in Units 1 and 2 Legal Studies.
Tasks for assessment in this unit may include (but not limited to):
a folio of exercises
an oral or digital presentation, such as a podcast or video
a Wiki, website or blog
structured questions
a mock trial or role play
a debate
a research report or media analysis
a question-and-answer session.
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