Do you want to know your basic legal rights and obligations? Gain an understanding of the Australian legal system, dispute resolution, how laws are made and how justice is achieved by studying VCE Legal Studies. You will learn about our courts, how to influence changes in the law, and your legal rights. Legal Studies is one of the most popular VCE subjects. It provides students with the skills to think critically about the effectiveness of our justice system.
In Unit 1, 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. In doing this, students develop an appreciation of the manner in which legal principles and information are used in making reasoned judgments and conclusions about the culpability of an accused. Students also develop an appreciation of how a criminal case is determined, and the types and purposes of sanctions. Students apply their understanding of how criminal cases are resolved and the effectiveness of sanctions through consideration of recent criminal cases from the past four years.
In Unit 2, 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. They apply knowledge through an investigation of civil cases from the past four years. Students also 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.
The student’s performance on each outcome will be assessed using one or more of the following:
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
an essay
a question-and-answer session.
In addition, there is an examination scheduled at the end of each semester.
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Students will require the following resources:
Edrolo, Unit 1 and 2, VCE Legal Studies textbook and online resource - will be purchased and distributed to students by the school.