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
  • Unit Code

    LAW3110
  • Year

    2026
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    1
  • Credit Points

    15
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
    Online
  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr Haydn RIGBY

Description

This unit introduces students to the Australian and State constitutions. It examines the history and development of these constitutional frameworks and the establishment of Australia’s various legal jurisdictions. Students will learn to apply principles of constitutional law to assess the validity of legislation and government action, as well as understand the separation of powers and the relationships between different institutions of government. The unit encourages students to appreciate Australia’s democratic system of governance, while also fostering critical thinking about current challenges to the system and the potential need for reform.

Prerequisite Rule

Students must pass 90 credit points.

Equivalent Rule

This Unit will replace LAW2314.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Distinguish the functions and relationship of the different institutions of government under the Constitution.
  2. Examine the relationship between State and Commonwealth government.
  3. Collaborate Effectively to provide solutions to constitutional problems through the application of relevant laws and principles.

Unit Content

  1. History, nature and sources of Australian constitutional law.
  2. The Commonwealth constitution and federal system.
  3. Constitutional interpretation and theory.
  4. Judicial, legislative and executive powers; and the separation of powers doctrine.
  5. Limits to Commonwealth and State legislative powers.
  6. Constitutional reforms.

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 School Progression Panel.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
AssignmentMajor Assignment25%
ExerciseGroup Exercise25%
ExaminationFinal Examination50%
ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
AssignmentMajor Assignment25%
ExerciseGroup Exercise25%
ExaminationFinal Examination50%

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.

Assessment

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. Informal vivas may be conducted as part of an assessment task, where staff require further information to confirm the learning outcomes have been met. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

Academic Integrity

Integrity is a core value at Edith Cowan University, and it is expected that ECU students complete their assessment tasks honestly and with acknowledgement of other people's work as well as any generative artificial intelligence tools that may have been used. This means that assessment tasks must be completed individually (unless it is an authorised group assessment task) and any sources used must be referenced.

Breaches of academic integrity can include:

Plagiarism

Copying the words, ideas or creative works of other people or generative artificial intelligence tools, without referencing in accordance with stated University requirements. Students need to seek approval from the Unit Coordinator within the first week of study if they intend to use some of their previous work in an assessment task (self-plagiarism).

Unauthorised collaboration (collusion)

Working with other students and submitting the same or substantially similar work or portions of work when an individual submission was required. This includes students knowingly providing others with copies of their own work to use in the same or similar assessment task(s).

Contract cheating

Organising a friend, a family member, another student or an external person or organisation (e.g. through an online website) to complete or substantially edit or refine part or all of an assessment task(s) on their behalf.

Cheating in an exam

Using or having access to unauthorised materials in an exam or test.

Serious outcomes may be imposed if a student is found to have committed one of these breaches, up to and including expulsion from the University for repeated or serious acts.

ECU's policies and more information about academic integrity can be found on the student academic integrity website.

All commencing ECU students are required to complete the Academic Integrity Module.

Assessment Extension

In some circumstances, Students may apply to their Unit Coordinator to extend the due date of their Assessment Task(s) in accordance with ECU's Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000001386.

Special Consideration

Students may apply for Special Consideration in respect of a final unit grade, where their achievement was affected by Exceptional Circumstances as set out in the Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000003318.

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