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LAWS76-105: Legal Foundations

Description

Legal Foundations is a compulsory subject in the Juris Doctor Online. It introduces students to the sources, authority, and institutional structure of Australian law. The subject situates legal doctrine within historical, Indigenous, international and political contexts, examining how legal power is constituted, justified, and contested. Students engage with competing theoretical perspectives on law, legitimacy, and justice, and analyse the foundational concepts that underpin the Australian legal system. The subject develops foundational written and oral legal argument skills and establishes the analytical and contextual framework for later doctrinal and skills-based subjects.

Subject details

Type: Postgraduate Subject
Code: LAWS76-105
EFTSL: 0.125
Faculty: Faculty of Law
Credit: 10
Study areas:
  • Law
Subject fees:
  • Commencing in 2026: $5,630.00
  • Commencing in 2026: $6,150.00

Learning outcomes

  1. Analyse the sources, authority, and institutional structure of Australian law within historical, Indigenous, international, and political contexts.
  2. Evaluate competing theoretical, Indigenous, and global perspectives on the legitimacy and justice of Australian law.
  3. Write structured legal arguments addressing questions of law, authority, and justice for academic and professional audiences.
  4. Deliver structured oral arguments on legal authority and institutional legitimacy in professional forums.
  5. Analyse Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander legal traditions and experiences to inform doctrinal and normative analysis of Australian law.

Enrolment requirements

Requisites:

Pre-requisites:

There are no pre-requisites

Co-requisites:

Assumed knowledge:

Assumed knowledge is the minimum level of knowledge of a subject area that students are assumed to have acquired through previous study. It is the responsibility of students to ensure they meet the assumed knowledge expectations of the subject. Students who do not possess this prior knowledge are strongly recommended against enrolling and do so at their own risk. No concessions will be made for students’ lack of prior knowledge.

Restrictions: This subject is not available to
  • Study Abroad Students
  • This subject is not available to students on US Financial Aid.
  • Students on a Student Visa may be restricted from enrolment due to the mode of delivery in the chosen semester. Check the subject outline for further details.

This subject is not available as a general elective. To be eligible for enrolment, the subject must be specified in the students’ program structure.