Legal Studies for VCE Units 1 & 2 Essential Access + Book

Module 1: The legal toolkit

1.1 The VCE Legal Studies course

1.2 Tips for success in VCE Legal Studies

1.3 Tips for success in assessment tasks

1.4 Mastering legal citation

1.5 Legal institutions and bodies

1.6 Careers in the law

Module 2: Introduction to Unit 1 – The presumption of innocence

2.1 Laws and the Australian legal system

2.2 Parliaments and courts

2.3 The rule of law

Module 3: Legal foundations

3.1 Social cohesion and rights

3.2 The principles of justice

3.3 Characteristics of an effective law

3.4 Parliament

3.5 Courts

3.6 Relationship between parliament and the courts

3.7 Criminal law and civil law

Review: Legal foundations

Module 4: Proving guilt

4.1 Criminal law

4.2 The presumption of innocence

4.3 Key concepts of criminal law

4.4 Types of crime

4.5 Summary offences and indictable offences

4.6 Possible participants in a crime

Review: Proving guilt

Module 5: Indictable offences

5.1 General defences to crime

5.2 Murder

5.3 Culpable driving causing death

5.4 Arson

Review: Indictable offences

Module 6: Summary offences

6.1 General defences to crime

6.2 Assault

6.3 Minor theft

6.4 Offensive behaviour

Review: Summary offences

Module 7: Sanctions

7.1 Introduction to sanctions

7.2 The principles of justice

7.3 Institutions that enforce criminal law

7.4 Powers and rights

7.5 The Victorian courts

7.6 The jury

7.7 Difficulties in the criminal justice system

7.8 The purposes of sanctions

7.9 Types of sanctions

7.10 Sentencing factors

7.11 Alternative sentencing approaches

7.12 Sentencing in the Northern Territory

Review: Sanctions

Module 8: Introduction to Unit 2 – Wrongs and rights

8.1 The purposes and sources of law

8.2 An overview of criminal law

8.3 The relationship between criminal law and civil law

Module 9: Civil liability

9.1 Purposes and types of civil law

9.2 Key concepts of civil law

9.3 Possible parties to a civil dispute

Review: Civil liability

Module 10: Tort law

10.1 Negligence

10.2 Defamation

10.3 Nuisance

Review: Tort law

Module 11: Other areas of civil law

11.1 Discrimination

11.2 Consumer rights

11.3 Workplace pay and conditions

Review: Other areas of civil law

Module 12: Remedies

12.1 Introduction to remedies

12.2 The principles of justice

12.3 Dispute resolution methods

12.4 Tribunals

12.5 Ombudsmen

12.6 Complaints bodies

12.7 The Victorian courts

12.8 The jury

12.9 Difficulties faced in the civil justice system

12.10 Remedies

Review: Remedies

Module 13: Human rights

13.1 The meaning and development of human rights

13.2 Rights protection: statute law and the Victorian Charter

13.3 Rights protection: common law

13.4 Rights protection: the Australian Constitution

13.5 The right to vote

13.6 The right to freedom of religion

13.7 The rights of First Nations people

Review: Human rights

Lisa Filippin

Lisa is a practicing solicitor with over 15 years’ experience working as a private practice and in-house lawyer. She is currently working as a General Counsel in the university sector, leading an in-house legal term and providing strategic senior advice to key leaders. Before working as a solicitor, Lisa taught Legal Studies at Melbourne Girls Grammar and held numerous curriculum and assessment roles with the VCAA (including as Chief Examinator and Chief Assessor).

She has previously been involved in the re-accreditation of the VCE Legal Studies course and is a regular presenter at VCE Legal Studies conferences. Lisa also currently owns and operates Commerce Studies Hub, a highly successful educational services business that provides assessment tasks, trial exams and student masterclasses for VCE Legal Studies and Business Management.

Annie Wilson

Annie is a deeply experienced Legal Studies teacher and author who has been developing curriculum materials for over 35 years. Recently retired from teaching, she previously taught at Camberwell Girls Grammar and Presbyterian Ladies’ College.

Peter Farrar

Peter is a very experienced Legal Studies teacher and author, with over 35 years of experience. He has been teaching at Star of the Sea College since 2008. He is highly skilled at developing a range of learning materials to meet the needs of a diverse range of students and has co-authored over 25 books throughout his career.