UnitLevel 2Undergraduate

LAW2111 Constitutional law

Faculty of Law

LAW2111 Constitutional law is a level 2, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Law, offered in 2021 in Semester 1 and Semester 2 at Clayton. It has no prerequisites and unlocks 9 units.

Credit points
6
Offered in 2021
Semester 1, Semester 2
Clayton
Assessment
Exam 60%
and 2 other tasks
Workload
144 hours
per semester

This is the 2021 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.

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Requisites

Enrolment rules

Prohibition:

For students who commenced their LLB course prior to 2015:

  • LAW3200

Prerequisite:

For students who commenced their LLB (Hons) course in 2015 or later:

Single degree LLB Hons students:

  • LAW1111 Foundations of Law
  • LAW1114 Criminal Law 1
  • LAW2101 Contract A
  • LAW1113 Torts

Double degree LLB Hons students:

  • LAW1111 Foundations of Law
  • LAW1114 Criminal Law 1
  • LAW1112 Public Law and Statutory Interpretation
  • LAW2112 Property A
  • LAW2101 Contract A
  • LAW1113 Torts

For students who commenced their LLB course prior to 2015:

  • LAW1100 or LAW1101, and
  • LAW1102 or LAW1104

Overview

The unit examines the Victorian and Commonwealth Constitutions; advanced principles regarding separation of judicial powers at State and Commonwealth levels; Australian federalism and inter-governmental relations, including the distribution of legislative and fiscal powers between the Commonwealth and the States, inconsistency of laws, and intergovernmental immunities; some principal Commonwealth legislative powers; limitations on governmental power, including selected express and implied constitutional rights and freedoms; and critical analysis of techniques and principles of constitutional interpretation.

Offerings in 2021

Teaching periodCampusMode
First semesterClaytonOn campus
Second semesterClaytonOn campus

Assessment

  • Tutorial participation
    10%
  • Written assignment
    30%
  • Final exam
    60%

Learning outcomes

When you finish this unit, you should be able to:

  1. 1

    Describe, discuss and analyse Commonwealth and State constitutional law and practice.

  2. 2

    Evaluate judgements on Australian constitutional cases demonstrating particular attention to the interpretive techniques used and the principles/policies underlying the judgements and doctrines.

  3. 3

    Assess the constitutional validity of Commonwealth and Victorian legislation and executive actions.

  4. 4

    Evaluate and apply constitutional law and interpretative principles of constitutional law to generate appropriate legal responses.

Workload and teaching

  • Tutorials6 hours
  • Lectures36 hours
  • Teaching approachActive learning

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. The unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

Learning resources

Required resources

See the Moodle unit page for prescribed and recommended resources. Prescribed texts are usually available for purchase through the University Bookstore and are sometimes available for short-term loan or as eBooks through the library.

Contacts

Chief Examiners
Dr Caroline Henckels
Dr Yee-Fui Ng

Common questions

What are the prerequisites for LAW2111?

LAW2111 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.

What can I take after LAW2111?

LAW2111 is a prerequisite or corequisite for 9 units, including LAW4158, LAW4219, LAW4332, LAW4522, LAW4678 and LAW4691.

When is LAW2111 offered?

In 2021, LAW2111 runs in Semester 1 and Semester 2 at Clayton.

How much work is LAW2111?

The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.

Does LAW2111 have an exam?

Yes. The exam is worth 60% of the final mark, alongside 2 other tasks.

More details

Credit points
6
Level
2
Study level
Undergraduate
Faculty
Faculty of Law
Type
Coursework
EFTSL
0.125
Student contribution
SCA Band 4
Study abroad
Not available