School: Business and Law

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Constitutional Law I
  • Unit Code

    LAW2104
  • Year

    2019
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    3
  • Credit Points

    15
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
    Online
  • Unit Coordinator

    Mr Toby Matthew NISBET

Description

This unit introduces students to the Australian and State constitutions. It examines the history and development of the constitution and the establishment of the various legal jurisdictions in Australia. The unit involves applying principles of constitutional law to determine the validity of legislation or government action. The unit encourages students to celebrate our dependable non-violent system of governance, whilst also encouraging students to think critically about existing threats to the system.

Prerequisite Rule

Students must have passed LAW1116 and LAW1600.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Write an effective essay that incorporates and synthesises the outcomes of independent legal research into cases and scholarly articles.
  2. Understand the history of Australian Constitutional Law, including the rise of parliamentary sovereignty.
  3. Analyse and Apply the principles of Australian constitutional law in answers to practical problems so as to demonstrate an understanding of the relevant principles of constitutional law.

Unit Content

  1. How to research and write an effective constitutional law essay.
  2. The history of the Constitution.
  3. The sources and nature of Constitutional law.
  4. Interpretation and theory.
  5. Judicial, legislative and executive powers; and the separation of powers doctrine.
  6. Limits to legislative powers.
  7. Legislative and executive powers.
  8. Intergovernmental Immunities.

Learning Experience

ON-CAMPUS

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU Blackboard.

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 113 x 2 hour lectureNot OfferedNot Offered
Semester 113 x 1 hour tutorialNot OfferedNot Offered

For more information see the Semester Timetable

ONLINE

Students will engage in learning experiences through ECU Blackboard as well as additional ECU learning technologies.

Additional Learning Experience Information

This unit will be offered in the on-campus and off-campus modes. On-campus students will attend a seminar and a tutorial. On-campus students will also be required to participate on Blackboard, in order to foster their problem solving skills. Off-campus students access the unit via Blackboard. The interactive aspects of the seminar are replicated through forum participation and live tutorials. Live tutorials will be run at a time to suit as many students as possible and the tutor's availability. Live tutorials are: not compulsory; subject to demand; and subject to tutor availability. Regular online access is required. Weekly hypothetical scenarios will give students the opportunity to practise constitutional law problem solving in tutorials. On occasion, a problem based learning approach will be undertaken. Students will be encouraged to touch base with their own experiences of injustice as a touchstone for understanding what the requirements of justice are. Students may then reflect the theoretical underpinnings of justice requirements, and on how those requirements are, or are not, met by our Constitution.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant Board of Examiners.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
EssayEssay40%
ParticipationSeminar and tutorial participation10%
AssignmentMajor Assignment *50%
ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
ExerciseEssay40%
ParticipationSeminar (forum) participation10%
AssignmentMajor Assignment *50%

* Assessment item identified for English language proficiency


Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

LAW2104|3|1

School: Business and Law

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Constitutional Law I
  • Unit Code

    LAW2104
  • Year

    2019
  • Enrolment Period

    2
  • Version

    3
  • Credit Points

    15
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
    Online
  • Unit Coordinator

    Mr Toby Matthew NISBET

Description

This unit introduces students to the Australian and State constitutions. It examines the history and development of the constitution and the establishment of the various legal jurisdictions in Australia. The unit involves applying principles of constitutional law to determine the validity of legislation or government action. The unit encourages students to celebrate our dependable non-violent system of governance, whilst also encouraging students to think critically about existing threats to the system.

Prerequisite Rule

Students must have passed LAW1116 and LAW1600.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Write an effective essay that incorporates and synthesises the outcomes of independent legal research into cases and scholarly articles.
  2. Understand the history of Australian Constitutional Law, including the rise of parliamentary sovereignty.
  3. Analyse and Apply the principles of Australian constitutional law in answers to practical problems so as to demonstrate an understanding of the relevant principles of constitutional law.

Unit Content

  1. How to research and write an effective constitutional law essay.
  2. The history of the Constitution.
  3. The sources and nature of Constitutional law.
  4. Interpretation and theory.
  5. Judicial, legislative and executive powers; and the separation of powers doctrine.
  6. Limits to legislative powers.
  7. Legislative and executive powers.
  8. Intergovernmental Immunities.

Learning Experience

ON-CAMPUS

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU Blackboard.

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 113 x 2 hour lectureNot OfferedNot Offered
Semester 113 x 1 hour tutorialNot OfferedNot Offered

For more information see the Semester Timetable

ONLINE

Students will engage in learning experiences through ECU Blackboard as well as additional ECU learning technologies.

Additional Learning Experience Information

This unit will be offered in the on-campus and off-campus modes. On-campus students will attend a seminar and a tutorial. On-campus students will also be required to participate on Blackboard, in order to foster their problem solving skills. Off-campus students access the unit via Blackboard. The interactive aspects of the seminar are replicated through forum participation and live tutorials. Live tutorials will be run at a time to suit as many students as possible and the tutor's availability. Live tutorials are: not compulsory; subject to demand; and subject to tutor availability. Regular online access is required. Weekly hypothetical scenarios will give students the opportunity to practise constitutional law problem solving in tutorials. On occasion, a problem based learning approach will be undertaken. Students will be encouraged to touch base with their own experiences of injustice as a touchstone for understanding what the requirements of justice are. Students may then reflect the theoretical underpinnings of justice requirements, and on how those requirements are, or are not, met by our Constitution.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant Board of Examiners.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
EssayEssay40%
ParticipationSeminar and tutorial participation10%
AssignmentMajor Assignment *50%
ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
ExerciseEssay40%
ParticipationSeminar (forum) participation10%
AssignmentMajor Assignment *50%

* Assessment item identified for English language proficiency


Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

LAW2104|3|2