The Australian Legal System

5 dot points, in syllabus order. Each dot point has a focused answer, with exam-style questions and worked answers where available.

Where does Australian law actually come from?

How statute law from parliament and common law from courts form the two main sources of Australian law, and how they interact.

If there is no world police force, why do countries obey international law?

How international law is created through treaties and custom, the reasons states comply with it, and the limited mechanisms available to enforce it.

What is international law and where does it come from?

What international law is, its main sources including treaties and customary law, and how it differs from domestic Australian law.

What is the difference between criminal and civil law?

The key differences between criminal and civil law: who brings the case, the purpose, the standard of proof, and the possible outcomes.

How are courts organised and how do they run a case?

The structure of the Tasmanian and federal court hierarchy, the doctrine of precedent, and the main features of the adversarial trial system.