LAW4140 The media, defamation and privacy
Faculty of Law
LAW4140 The media, defamation and privacy is a level 4, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Law, offered in 2025 in Semester 1 at Clayton. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2025
- Semester 1
- Clayton
- Assessment
- Exam 60%
- and 1 other task
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2025 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before LAW4140
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After LAW4140
No unit lists LAW4140 as a prerequisite in the 2025 handbook.
Enrolment rules
You must have completed at least 60 credit points of law study
Overview
This unit considers why freedom of speech is important to the media and how it is protected in Australia. The unit also covers the three major restraints on freedom of speech; the law of defamation, the action for breach of confidence and laws that protect privacy, both incidentally and intentionally. These will be considered from the perspective of how these laws inhibit the media in the collection and dissemination of information. Due consideration will be given to whether an appropriate balance is struck between freedom of speech and other rights, such as the protection of reputation. Reform of the law will also be considered, particularly the need for uniform defamation laws.
Offerings in 2025
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Clayton | On campus |
Assessment
- Class testQuiz / Test40%
- Take home examExamination60%
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Comprehend and critically analyse the laws pertaining to defamation, breach of confidence and privacy in terms of their impact on the media. This will involve reading, understanding and interpreting primary sources - both cases and legislation - and demonstrating an ability to apply them to complex factual scenarios.
- 2
Develop reasoned opinions as to whether the laws studied in this unit strike an appropriate balance between freedom of speech and the protection of reputation.
- 3
Communicate the substantive law, and their opinions thereon, effectively and persuasively with minimal errors in expression, grammar, spelling and punctuation.
- 4
Learn and work with autonomy and professionalism.
Workload and teaching
- Seminars36 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
- Professor Claire Fenton-Glynn
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for LAW4140?
LAW4140 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is LAW4140 offered?
In 2025, LAW4140 runs in Semester 1 at Clayton.
How much work is LAW4140?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does LAW4140 have an exam?
Yes. The exam is worth 60% of the final mark, alongside 1 other task.