This topic explores contemporary controversies involving the law and connects them with core questions in legal theory and critical moments in legal history. It will ask why Australian law is the way it is, and consider how it relates to other legal systems across the globe (including Indigenous legal systems). The topic will look at some of the important historical eras, events and conflicts which have shaped contemporary law and critically examine the core values of Australian law. It will connect these fundamental historical developments with core questions in legal theory, such as the nature of a liberal legal system, the idea of natural law, the relationship of law with social and moral values, the notion of legal personality (especially as this relates to the status of animals and the environment), and critical questions concerning race and gender.
The topic will also emphasise research skills (with a focus on secondary literature) and written communication skills.
This topic aims to:
Timetable details for 2021 are no longer published.