Program Overview

Unit of Study LAWS4008 Theories of Law

Unit Snapshot

• Unit type: UG Coursework Unit
• Credit points: 12
• Faculty & College: Faculty of Business, Law and Arts
• Placement: No
• Pre-requisites: LEGL1001 - Legal Research and Writing AND LEGL1005 - Legal Process

Unit Description

Identifies and evaluates theoretical frameworks within the philosophy of law that inform legal knowledge and practice. This unit engages students in critical analysis of philosophical perspectives and their implications for law, legal institutions, and legal practices. This includes the making, application, and interpretation of laws to enable a better appreciation of the development of policies underlying law. The ethical and socio-political consequences of the practice of lawyers also feature prominently. The ethos of this unit is critical evaluation of legal theory, its application, and exploring the possibility of harmonising positivist and critical approaches.

Unit Content

• Module 1: Foundational Approaches to the Law: Natural Law and Legal Positivism
• Module 2: Critical and Normative Realism: Continental and American Variants
• Module 3: Critical Legal Theory: Socio-politics of Class, Race and Gender
• Module 4: Postmodern Theories and Perspectives: Deconstruction and Semiotics
• Module 5: Eco-jurisprudence: Reconceptualising Human Relationships to Nature
• Module 6: Colonial Experiences as Legal Theory: The Authenticity Question

Availabilities

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

• Identify and explain the seminal movements and issues of traditional jurisprudence and contemporary legal theory
• Evaluate the use of philosophical assumptions that inform legal thinking and practice of Anglo-Australian law and critically reflect on the sustainability of legal philosophies and theories to deliver solutions to complex contemporary legal problems
• Critically appraise the relationship between theory and practice, in particular, the relationship between ideas about law and specific social, cultural, political, and legal practices
• Apply appropriate legal research methods and investigate, analyse, and synthesise complex legal issues and theories of law and produce persuasive written arguments.

Teaching and Assessment

Gold Coast (Term)

• Teaching method:
  • Workshop 1 hour (Twice weekly)
  • Tutorial 2 hours (Twice weekly)
• Assessment:
  • Report: 40%
  • Report: 60%

Online (Term)

• Teaching method:
  • Workshop 1 hour (Twice weekly)
  • Tutorial 2 hours (Twice weekly)
• Assessment:
  • Report: 40%
  • Report: 60%

Prescribed Learning Resources

Term 3

• Prescribed Texts: Information not currently available.
• Prescribed Resources/Equipment: Information not currently available.

Fee Information

Domestic

• Commonwealth Supported courses: For information regarding Student Contribution Amounts, please refer to the relevant university resources.
• Fee paying courses: For postgraduate or undergraduate full-fee paying courses, please check the domestic postgraduate or undergraduate fees.

International

• Please check the international course and fee list to determine the relevant fees.

Courses that Offer This Unit

• Bachelor of Laws (2025): Gold Coast, Online
• Bachelor of Laws (2026): Gold Coast, Online
• Bachelor of Psychological Science, Bachelor of Laws (2025): Gold Coast, Online
• Bachelor of Psychological Science, Bachelor of Laws (2026): Gold Coast, Online
• Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Laws (2025): Gold Coast, Online
• Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Arts (2026): Online
• Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Business (2025): Gold Coast, Online
• Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Business (2026): Gold Coast, Online