§-Legal Studies syllabus
NSW · NESA← Legal Studies
Legal Studies syllabus, dot point by dot point
Every dot point in the NSW Legal Studies syllabus, with a focused answer for each. Click any dot point for a worked explainer, past exam questions and links to related points.
Core Part I: Crime
Module overview →How are crimes categorised, and what are the implications for prosecution?
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
How does the criminal trial process operate, and how effectively does it deliver justice?
Examine the criminal trial process, including pleas, court hierarchy, the use of juries, legal representation, and the role of the judge
What is crime, and what must the prosecution prove to convict?
Examine the meaning of crime and the elements that must be proved beyond reasonable doubt
How does the criminal investigation process balance the powers of the state against the rights of the suspect?
Investigate the criminal investigation process, including police powers, the arrest process, the right to silence, and the bail decision
What is the purpose of sentencing, and how effectively does it achieve justice?
Examine the purposes of punishment, the range of sentencing options, the role of victims in sentencing, and the issue of consistency
How does the NSW criminal justice system respond to young offenders?
Examine the legal treatment of young offenders, the principles of the Young Offenders Act 1997 (NSW), doli incapax, and contemporary reform issues
Option: Family
Module overview →How does Australian family law respond to contemporary issues such as surrogacy and same-sex parenting?
Investigate contemporary issues in family law including surrogacy, assisted reproductive technology, and same-sex parenting
How is divorce determined, and how does the law decide parenting arrangements?
Investigate divorce, parental responsibility and the best interests of the child principle
How does the law respond to domestic and family violence?
Investigate the legal and non-legal responses to domestic and family violence, including AVOs and the new coercive control offence in NSW
How does the law recognise different types of relationships?
Investigate the legal recognition of relationships, including marriage, de facto relationships, civil unions, and same-sex relationships
What is family law in Australia, and how does it operate?
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
Module overview →How effectively does Australian law protect the human rights of Indigenous Australians?
Investigate a contemporary human rights issue in depth, including the human rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
What are the key international and Australian instruments protecting human rights?
Examine the formal statements of human rights, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenants of 1966, and other key UN instruments
What are human rights, and how did the modern human rights framework develop?
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
How effectively are human rights promoted and enforced in Australia?
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
How effectively does the international community promote and enforce human rights?
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
Module overview →How does the international community respond to terrorism, and how effective are those responses?
Investigate a contemporary world order issue in depth, including the legal and non-legal responses to terrorism and the rules-based order
How does the International Criminal Court prosecute the most serious international crimes?
Investigate the role of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court 1998
What is world order, and how does state sovereignty shape it?
Examine the nature of world order, the concept of state sovereignty, and the principles of international law
How does international law regulate the use of force and the conduct of armed conflict?
Investigate responses to conflict, including jus ad bellum (when force may be used), jus in bello (how force is used), and the Geneva Conventions
What role does the United Nations play in promoting world order?
Investigate the role of the United Nations in promoting world order, including the General Assembly, Security Council, and specialised agencies