LAW4230 Animal law
Faculty of Law
LAW4230 Animal law is a level 3, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Law, offered in 2026 in Semester 1 at Clayton. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2026
- Semester 1
- Clayton
- Assessment
- No exam
- 3 tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before LAW4230
Prohibitions
You can't enrol if you have passed any of these.
After LAW4230
No unit lists LAW4230 as a prerequisite in the 2026 handbook.
Enrolment rules
You must have completed at least 60 credit points of law study
Equivalent units
The same content under another code. Only one of them counts.
Overview
This unit examines the ways in which Australian law defines and regulates the relationship between human and non-human animals. It introduces you to the key legal and ethical principles and regulatory regimes that relate to our treatment of animals. The unit examines the historical status of animals in law and considers competing philosophical theories and stakeholder interests that motivate the evolution of law in respect of animals. You will analyse a selection of regulatory regimes under Australian state and federal law that apply to our interactions with animals, which may include: animals in scientific experimentation, in sport and entertainment, and in agriculture; the live export industry; companion animals; and wild animals. Although the primary focus of the unit will be upon the law in Australia, where relevant this will be compared to overseas jurisdictions.
Offerings in 2026
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Clayton | On campus |
Assessment
- Research PlanWritten20%
- Group PresentationPresentation30%
- Research paperWritten50%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Demonstrate understanding of the principles and objectives underlying the regulatory schemes that apply to our treatment of animals;
- 2
Critically analyse policies and objectives in light of ethical considerations and jurisprudence and relate them to proposals for law reform;
- 3
Collaborate and communicate effectively, appropriately and persuasively on issues relevant to the understanding of Animal Law;
- 4
Apply skills in legal reasoning and argumentation to animal law issues.
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
- Dr Joanna Kyriakakis
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for LAW4230?
LAW4230 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is LAW4230 offered?
In 2026, LAW4230 runs in Semester 1 at Clayton.
How much work is LAW4230?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does LAW4230 have an exam?
No. LAW4230 has 3 assessment tasks and no exam.