VCE Legal Studies

Are you intrigued by the complex and fascinating world of law? Do you want to know more about the legal system and how it works? If you're looking for a subject that will not only challenge you, but also help you on your path towards a career in law, law enforcement, politics, social sciences and many other public service jobs, then consider Legal Studies. You'll explore topics such as murder and arson along with delving into the world of the civil justice system. You will also develop an understanding of the duties of juries and develop a deeper understanding of the legal principles that shape our society. Legal Studies can help complement Business Management as it is often a compulsory subject in first year Business Management degrees.

Unit 1: Guilt and Liability

Laws aim to achieve social cohesion and protect the rights of individuals. The role of the Criminal law is to maintain social order and set the standards as to what is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour in our society. Assessment tasks for this unit are selected from the following: structured assignment, essay, mock court or role-play, folio and report, case study, topic tests, report (written, visual, oral or multimedia) plus a mid-year exam.

Unit 2: Wrongs and rights

Civil law aims to protect the rights of individuals, groups and organisations from loss or harm caused by another and dictates how that loss and harm is assessed, quantified and compensated for through our legal system. Students explore a range of different areas of civil law, from negligence and discrimination to consumer and human rights. They discover the methods and institutions that are involved in resolving civil disputes as well as the range of available remedies. Key concepts of civil law are learned and applied through an investigation of relevant, contemporary civil cases. Students also develop an understanding of how human rights are protected in Australia, including the civil and political rights protected in the Victorian Charter, The Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 (Vic) and investigate a contemporary Australian issue with a focus on how law reform occurs.

Assessment tasks for this unit are selected from the following: structured assignment, essay, mock court or role-play, folio and report, case study, topic tests, report (written, visual, oral or multimedia) plus end-of-year exam.

Unit 3: Rights and Justice

The Victorian justice system, which includes the criminal and civil justice systems, aims to protect the rights of individuals and uphold the principles of justice: fairness, equality and access. In this unit, students examine the methods and institutions in the criminal and civil justice system and consider their appropriateness in determining criminal cases and resolving civil disputes. Students consider the Magistrates’ Court, County Court and Supreme Court within the Victorian court hierarchy, as well as other means and institutions used to determine and resolve cases.

No exam mid-year.

Unit 4: The people and the law

In this unit, students explore how the Australian Constitution establishes the law-making powers of the Commonwealth and state parliaments, and how it protects the Australian people through structures that act as a check on parliament in law-making. Students develop an understanding of the significance of the High Court in protecting and interpreting the Australian Constitution. They investigate parliament and the courts, and the relationship between the two in lawmaking, and consider the roles of the individual, the media and law reform bodies in influencing changes to the law, and past and future constitutional reform.

School Assessed Coursework may consist of:

A multimedia presentation; a case study; an essay; a report; short-answer questions; an extended response (50 per cent).
External assessment is by an end-of-year examination (50 per cent)

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