Topic 1: The Australian Legal System

The distinction between criminal and civil law - parties, purpose, who carries the burden of proof, the standard of proof, and the different outcomes such as punishment versus remedies.

How the Australian legal system inherited English common law and statute, the doctrine of reception and terra nullius, and the recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander customary law.

The two main sources of Australian law - statute law made by parliaments and common law made by courts - and how they interact, including the rule that statute prevails over common law.

Features of Australia's adversarial trial system - party control, an impartial decision-maker, rules of evidence and the standard of proof - and how it differs from the inquisitorial system.

What the rule of law means, the principles that make it up such as equality before the law and access to justice, and how the Australian and South Australian systems try to uphold it.