← Legal Studies syllabus

TASLegal Studies

The Australian Legal System

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

What is the difference between criminal and civil law?

Distinguish between criminal law and civil law, including their purposes, parties, standards of proof, and outcomes.
The key differences between criminal and civil law: who brings the case, the purpose, the standard of proof, and the possible outcomes.
6 min answer →

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

Explain how international law is made, why states obey it, and how it is enforced.
How international law is created through treaties and custom, the reasons states comply with it, and the limited mechanisms available to enforce it.
7 min answer →

Where does Australian law actually come from?

Identify and explain the sources of law: statute law made by parliament and common law made by courts.
How statute law from parliament and common law from courts form the two main sources of Australian law, and how they interact.
6 min answer →

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

Explain the structure of the court hierarchy and the features of the adversarial system of trial.
The structure of the Tasmanian and federal court hierarchy, the doctrine of precedent, and the main features of the adversarial trial system.
7 min answer →

What is international law and where does it come from?

Describe the nature of international law and its main sources, and explain how it differs from domestic Australian law.
What international law is, its main sources including treaties and customary law, and how it differs from domestic Australian law.
7 min answer →