Β§-Legal Studies Q&A
NSW Β· NESAβ Legal Studies
Legal Studies Q&A by dot point
A short Q&A bank for every NSW Legal Studies syllabus dot point. Each question and answer is drawn directly from our worked dot-point page, so you can scan key concepts before opening the long-form answer.
Core Part I: Crime
Investigate the categories of crime (offences against the person, against property, against the state, drug offences, traffic offences, public order, preliminary, regulatory) and the special category of strict liability offences
Examine the criminal trial process, including pleas, court hierarchy, the use of juries, legal representation, and the role of the judge
Examine the meaning of crime and the elements that must be proved beyond reasonable doubt
Investigate the criminal investigation process, including police powers, the arrest process, the right to silence, and the bail decision
Examine the purposes of punishment, the range of sentencing options, the role of victims in sentencing, and the issue of consistency
Examine the legal treatment of young offenders, the principles of the Young Offenders Act 1997 (NSW), doli incapax, and contemporary reform issues
Option: Family
Investigate contemporary issues in family law including surrogacy, assisted reproductive technology, and same-sex parenting
Investigate divorce, parental responsibility and the best interests of the child principle
Investigate the legal and non-legal responses to domestic and family violence, including AVOs and the new coercive control offence in NSW
Investigate the legal recognition of relationships, including marriage, de facto relationships, civil unions, and same-sex relationships
Examine the nature of family law, the legal definition of family, and the role of the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) and the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia
Core Part II: Human Rights
Investigate a contemporary human rights issue in depth, including the human rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Examine the formal statements of human rights, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenants of 1966, and other key UN instruments
Examine the nature and development of human rights, including the historical recognition of human rights, the abolition of slavery, trade unionism and labour rights, universal suffrage, universal education, self-determination, and environmental rights
Investigate the promotion and enforcement of human rights in Australia, including the role of the Constitution, common law, statute law, courts and tribunals, and the Australian Human Rights Commission
Investigate the role of the United Nations, intergovernmental organisations, courts and tribunals, NGOs and the media in promoting and enforcing human rights
Option: World Order
Investigate a contemporary world order issue in depth, including the legal and non-legal responses to terrorism and the rules-based order
Investigate the role of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court 1998
Examine the nature of world order, the concept of state sovereignty, and the principles of international law
Investigate responses to conflict, including jus ad bellum (when force may be used), jus in bello (how force is used), and the Geneva Conventions
Investigate the role of the United Nations in promoting world order, including the General Assembly, Security Council, and specialised agencies
