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 730-105 History and Philosophy of Law

Credit Points

25

Coordinator

Assoc. Professor L Skene

Semester

1 and 2

Contact

4 hours per week

Subject Description

A basic introduction to legal history, comparative law, legal theory, and the sociology of law, designed to equip students to think critically about legal arguments and contemporary legal issues. The course examines the origins and development of the Anglo-Australian legal system and its relations with pre-existing indigenous laws; the major elements of liberal legal theory and selected critiques of liberalism; arguments about the relation between law and society, and methods for exploring the operation of law in society; and corresponding and contrasting themes in non-Western legal systems, and methods of comparative law. Themes developed throughout the course include the question of how we define law; issue of class, gender and racial equality; individual rights and the rule of law; state intervention and regulation; the relationship between law and society; social values; and the construction of legal knowledge.

Assessment

Class participation (pass/fail), a Research Essay of 3000 words (30%), a Reflective Essay of 2000 words (30%) and a Final Exam (40%).

Prescribed Texts

Printed Materials will be issued by the Law School.

  • Hunter, Ingleby & Johnstone, Thinking about Law. Allen & Unwin 1995.


Search : Index : Faculty of Law : Law Subjects
Prev 730-104 Torts and the Process of Law
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Status:                   Official 1998
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Email Enquiries:          Course_Information@registrar.unimelb.edu.au