Our society is regulated by a complex set of rules and regulations which both guide and protect individual and community rights. Being well informed about legal issues, including the rights and responsibilities integral to our society, is part of being an active and informed citizen. Students of Legal Studies Stage 6 will develop an understanding of legal concepts and the way the law functions in our society.
The syllabus focuses on the way in which law is generated, how it is structured and how it operates in Australian and international contexts. Learning about our legal system will allow students to investigate the way our society operates and the influences that shape it.
Students will develop an understanding of the implications that legal decisions can have for Australian society and the ways in which the legal system can affect the lives of Australian citizens. A critical understanding of the processes of reform and change will help students to contribute to making our society more equitable for all. T
he Legal Studies Stage 6 course offers excellent preparation for life through a study of the legal system, its principles, structures, institutions and processes. The course fosters respect for cultural diversity. It allows students to question and evaluate legal institutional structures in the domestic and international environments and to undertake a comparative analysis of other political and institutional structures.
Legal Studies enables students to have confidence in approaching and accessing the legal system and provides them with a better appreciation of the relationship between social and legal structures. The course will assist in the development of students’ knowledge of their basic legal rights and responsibilities in a broad selection of contexts which appeal to their interests.
Legal Studies is situated in the key learning area (KLA) of Human Society and Its Environment (HSIE). The skills developed in the HSIE KLA empower students to become critical learners and thinkers.
The Legal Studies Stage 6 course also provides learning that prepares students for further education and training, employment and full and active participation as citizens in Australia and in the global society. Students gain the skills of critical analysis, independent research, collaboration, and effective communication.
Legal Studies provides a context for the development of higher-order thinking skills necessary for further education, work and everyday life, and a range of other employability skills.
Employability skills are embedded in the Legal Studies syllabus to enhance student learning. The employability skills of planning and organising, learning and communication are explicit in the objectives, outcomes and content of the Preliminary and HSC courses. The development of these skills results from the nature of Legal Studies and the investigation and analysis of legal issues. The employability skill of self-management is explicit in the outcomes for the HSC course. Students will also work towards other employability skills throughout the Legal Studies Stage 6 course. During investigations they will need to use appropriate information technologies and so develop the appropriate employability skills in technology. The Law in Practice unit in the Preliminary course supports students to demonstrate initiative and enterprise as they investigate areas of the law in which they have an interest. Finally, as students investigate and propose solutions to legal problems, they develop problem-solving skills.
Legal Studies Stage 6 Syllabus (PDF, 415.1kbs)