SA · SACE BoardQ&A
Legal StudiesQ&A by dot point
A short Q&A bank for every SA 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.
Topic 1: The Australian Legal System
- Distinguish between criminal law and civil law, including the parties, purpose, burden and standard of proof, and outcomes.0Q&A pairs
- Explain the origins of the Australian legal system, including the reception of English law and the place of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander customary law.0Q&A pairs
- Identify and explain the two main sources of law in Australia: statute law made by parliament and common law made by courts.0Q&A pairs
- Explain the features of the adversarial system of trial used in Australia and compare it with the inquisitorial system.0Q&A pairs
- Explain the meaning of the rule of law and how the Australian legal system tries to uphold it.0Q&A pairs
Topic 2: Constitutional Government
- Explain the referendum process under section 128 and analyse why so few referendums succeed.0Q&A pairs
- Explain how international law and human rights obligations affect Australian law, and evaluate the extent to which Australia should comply with them.0Q&A pairs
- Explain how Australian law has recognised native title and land rights, and evaluate how well the law protects the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.0Q&A pairs
- Explain how rights are protected in the Australian Constitution, including express and implied rights, and evaluate whether the protection is adequate.0Q&A pairs
- Explain how the Australian Constitution divides power between the Commonwealth and the states and separates power between the arms of government.0Q&A pairs
- Explain the role of the High Court in interpreting the Constitution and how its decisions have shifted the balance of power.0Q&A pairs
- Explain the structure, jurisdiction and appointment of the High Court, and evaluate whether it has too much power.0Q&A pairs
- Explain the role of the Senate as a house of review and a states house, and evaluate how well it serves contemporary Australia.0Q&A pairs
- Explain the separation of powers in the Australian Constitution and how it limits the abuse of power.0Q&A pairs
Topic 3: Law-Making
- Explain the relationship between courts and parliament in making law, including how each influences and limits the other.0Q&A pairs
- Explain what delegated legislation is, why parliament uses it, and how it is controlled.0Q&A pairs
- Explain how courts make law through precedent and how they interpret statutes.0Q&A pairs
- Explain how parliament makes statute law, including the stages a bill passes through to become an Act.0Q&A pairs
Topic 4: Justice Systems
- Explain what access to justice means, the barriers to it, and the measures that improve it.0Q&A pairs
- Explain the methods of alternative dispute resolution and the role of tribunals, and evaluate their advantages over court proceedings.0Q&A pairs
- Explain why law reform is needed, the forces that drive it, and the bodies and processes that bring it about.0Q&A pairs
- Explain the roles of legal personnel and the importance of legal representation, and evaluate how this affects access to justice.0Q&A pairs
- Explain the purposes of sentencing and the types of sanctions available, and the factors courts consider.0Q&A pairs
- Explain the role of the jury in the Australian legal system and evaluate its strengths and weaknesses.0Q&A pairs
- Explain the structure of the South Australian court hierarchy and the reasons for arranging courts in this way.0Q&A pairs