← Legal Studies syllabus

NSWLegal Studies

Option: World Order

5 dot points across 5 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

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
A focused answer to terrorism as a contemporary world order issue. Covers the absence of a universal definition, the UN sectoral conventions, Security Council Resolutions 1373 and 1624, Australia's counter-terrorism statutes, and the human rights tension in counter-terrorism law.
6 min answer →

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
A focused answer to the International Criminal Court. Covers the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court 1998, the four core crimes, the jurisdictional triggers, the principle of complementarity, recent cases including the arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin, and Australia's implementation.
6 min answer →

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
A focused answer to world order and state sovereignty in international law. Covers the Westphalian system, the four sources of international law, the difference between hard and soft law, and the limits of sovereignty in the contemporary order.
5 min answer →

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
A focused answer to the international law on the use of force. Covers jus ad bellum (article 2(4) of the UN Charter, the exceptions), jus in bello (the Geneva Conventions 1949 and Additional Protocols 1977), and the responsibility to protect (R2P).
6 min answer →

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
A focused answer to the role of the United Nations in world order. Covers the General Assembly, Security Council (including the veto), specialised agencies, peacekeeping operations, and the effectiveness limits of the UN system.
6 min answer →