VCE Legal Studies
Subject Overview
VCE Legal Studies examines the institutions and principles which are essential to Australia’s legal system. Students develop an understanding of the rule of law, law-makers, key legal institutions, rights protection in Australia, and the justice system.
Unit 1 & 2
In Unit 1 & 2 you will:
- Learn about legal foundations
- Develop an understanding of key criminal justice concepts
- Describe the institutions involved in a civil dispute
- Apply legal reasoning
- Examine law in relation to Human Rights
- Apply legal principles to actual cases
Unit 3 & 4
In Unit 3 & 4 you will:
- Discuss the means used to determine a criminal case
- Analyse the factors to consider when initiating a civil claim
- Discuss institutions and methods used to resolve a civil dispute
- Discuss the significance of High Court cases on Interpreting the Australian Constitution
- Evaluate the ways the Australian Constitution acts as a check on Parliament’s law making abilities
- Discuss factors that affect ability of Parliament to make law
- Discuss Parliamentary law and the institutions of law reform (Parliamentary Committees, Victoria Law Reform Commission and Royal Commissions)
- Analyse the factors that determine the success of Constitutional Referendum
Types of Assessment
- Folio of exercises
- Structured questions
- Report
Class Activities
- Essay writing
- Tests
- Quizzes
- Reports
Careers that may link to this subject area
- Court Registrar
- Human Resource Manager
- Human Rights Lawyer
- Industrial Relations Officer
- International Relations
- Journalist
- Law Clerk
- Legal Aid Worker
- Legal Secretary
- Politician
- Police Officer
- Social Worker
- Teacher
- Barrister
- Solicitor