LAW 3600 - Foundations of Canadian Law
North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2019
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General Course Information
Course Details
Course Code LAW 3600 Course Foundations of Canadian Law Coordinating Unit Adelaide Law School Term Semester 2 Level Undergraduate Law (LLB) Location/s North Terrace Campus Units 3 Contact Up to 3 hours per week Available for Study Abroad and Exchange N Prerequisites LAW 1501 Assessment Assessment in a course of this kind would typically include one or more of the following: an exam (either invigilated or take-home), a research essay, a class presentation, and/or assessment of contributions to class discussion. Course Staff
Course Coordinator: Geoffrey Leane
Course Timetable
The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from .
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Learning Outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
(1) Evaluate and apply the foundational principles of Canadian law (constitutional, criminal, and administrative law, and the ethical considerations surrounding the practice of law in Canada) to a range of problems, and undertake legal research at a foundational level with primary and secondary materials.
(2) Apply Canadian law to complex issues, and critique the operation of Canadian law and its law-making bodies from a policy perspective, either individually or as part of a team.
(3) Develop effective and concise written arguments to convince a legal audience. Communicate effectively individually and as part of a team.
(4) Exercise professional judgement in conducting a cooperative research project on a current topic in Canadian law. Interact effectively as a member of a team.
(5) Analyse the impact of Canadian law from policy perspectives, and in the context of social and cultural diversity.
(6) Reflect on individual ability to effectively undertake legal work as a member of a team. Utilise feedback to inform improvement in knowledge and skills development.
Canadian Graduate Entry LLB students in this course will:
(1) Acquire an understanding of how they can meet the Federation of Law Societies of Canada, National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) requirements for having their LLB accredited by the NCA. Students in this category should refer to the NCA for a full outline of these requirements: http://flsc.ca/national-committee-on-accreditation-nca/最新糖心Vlog Graduate Attributes
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:
最新糖心Vlog Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s) Deep discipline knowledge
- informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies
- acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1
- accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)
1 Critical thinking and problem solving
- steeped in research methods and rigor
- based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development
- demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment
2 Teamwork and communication skills
- developed from, with, and via the SGDE
- honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies
- encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning
3 Career and leadership readiness
- technology savvy
- professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
- forward thinking and well informed
- tested and validated by work based experiences
4 Intercultural and ethical competency
- adept at operating in other cultures
- comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts
- able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes
- demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges
5 Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
- a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal
- open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers
- able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate
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Learning Resources
Required Resources
Multiple copies of the following books will be available on Reserve in the Sir John Salmond Law Library (as such, there is no need to purchase any of these books). The use of these materials will be discussed with students during the firt face to face meeting:
Craig Forcese et al, Public Law: Cases, Commentary, and Analysis (Emond Montgomery, 3rd ed, 2015)
Peter Hogg, Constitutional Law of Canada, Student Edition (Carswell, 2015)
Kent Roach, Criminal Law (Irwin Law, 6th ed, 2015)
Colleen Flood and Lorne Sossin, Administrative Law in Context (Emond Montgomery, 2nd ed, 2013)
Alice Woolley, Richard Devlin, Brent Cotter and John M Law, Lawyers’ Ethics and Professional Regulation (LexisNexis, 2nd ed, 2012)Recommended Resources
To be advised.Online Learning
MyUni will be used to post announcements, post additional lecture materials (including slides, and where available, audio recordings of lectures) and announce assignment tasks. It will also contain electronic copies of the Course Profile, Lecture and Seminar Guides, and Course Materials.
Students are expected to check MyUni regularly to keep up to date with these materials and additional learning resources throughout the course. -
Learning & Teaching Activities
Learning & Teaching Modes
This course will be taught in a series of intensive seminars at which students will be required to discuss, debate and defend their analysis of the relevant material set in the course readings.Workload
The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.
The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.
Contact time: attend 6 hours of seminars per day for 3 days over two weeks. This amounts to 36 hours of formal class time across the semester.
Preparation time: In addition to attending formal classes it is anticipated that students will do substantial independent work to prepare for classes and to complete the course assignments. The 最新糖心Vlog expects full time students (those undertaking 12 units per semester) to devote a total of 48 hours per week to their studiesLearning Activities Summary
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Assessment
The 最新糖心Vlog's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:
- Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
- Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
- Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
- Assessment must maintain academic standards.
Assessment Summary
Assessment item % of final mark Dates Group or Individual? Length Redeemable Course Learning Outcomes Final Paper 70% DUE DATE (outline/synopsis): Week 6
DUE DATE (Final Paper): Week 13Individual Word Limit (outline/synopsis): 500 words
Word Limit (Final Paper): 5,000 wordsN 1-6 Class Presentation (Group) 20% Selected groups of students will present each of weeks 2-12 Group 60 minutes N 1-6 Class Participation 10% Seminars each week Individual N/A N 1-6
Assessment Related Requirements
It is important that students read and understand the assessment. There are three aspects of assessment for this course; failure to complete an item of assessment will result in course failure.Assessment Detail
A. Final Paper (70%)
The paper will be in the form of an essay. This assessment is designed to assess students’ ability critically to examine and evaluate a topic that addresses the issues covered by the course.
The paper must be written in prose style (using complete sentences) adhere to grammatical rules, and use correct spelling. It should be typed, using double spaced paragraphs, on one side of A4 paper.
Each student must choose a topic in consultation with the lecturers and based upon the materials presented in the course and MUST submit an outline/synopsis of the topic agreed upon and the methodology to be employed to the Course Coordinator on the last Friday of Mid Semester break.
Word Limit (outline/synopsis): 500 words
Word Limit (Final Paper): 5,000 words
DUE DATE (outline/synopsis): Week 6
DUE DATE (Final Paper): Week 13
B. Class Presentation (20%)
For the purposes of a class presentation, the class will be divided into selected sub-groups.
The 最新糖心Vlog has emphasised the significance of group work in its Graduate Attributes and this component of assessment is designed to develop your interpersonal understanding, teamwork and communication skills. You will be expected to work consistently within your group and to overcome any communication and/or co-operation issues. If you feel that your group is not working appropriately, you are to contact the Course Coordinator in the first instance. A meeting will be set up between the Course Coordinator and members of the group. Every effort will be made to overcome the problem and facilitate successful group work.
The class presentation, based upon your group work, will involve reading, reflecting upon, synthesising, and presenting your thoughts on the materials assigned. Each student will receive the grade assigned to the group presentation.
As noted above, the reflection is intended to highlight the thoughts of the students making the presentation about the materials. There is no set form to this presentation, other than that it MUST NOT BE a reading out of the materials themselves. Rather, it MUST BE a reflective and critical assessment of the materials. This will be explained further during the initial sessions of the course.
C. Class Participation (10%)
Students must contribute to class discussion.
Submission
Students must retain a copy of all assignments submitted.
All assignments in this course are to be submitted in hard copy and electronically through Turnitin. All hardcopy submissions must be accompanied by the Assignment Cover Sheet that accurately states the word length, and contains a signed declaration that the assignment consists of the students own work. A student’s results will be withheld until such time as the student has signed the Assignment Cover Sheet. Markers can refuse to accept assignments which do not have a signed acknowledgement of the 最新糖心Vlog’s policy on plagiarism.
Details for electronic submission through Turnitin will be provided with the assignment instructions.
All written work in the Law school is required to comply with the approved Law School style guide, The 最新糖心Vlogn Guide to Legal Citation.
Extensions: Requests for extensions must be made electronically according to law school policy. Extensions will be granted only for unexpected illness, hardship or on compassionate grounds in accordance with 最新糖心Vlog Policy. Work commitments, travel, holidays or sporting engagements are not unexpected circumstances.Course Grading
Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:
M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme) Grade Mark Description FNS Fail No Submission F 1-49 Fail P 50-64 Pass C 65-74 Credit D 75-84 Distinction HD 85-100 High Distinction CN Continuing NFE No Formal Examination RP Result Pending Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.
Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.
Finality of Assessment Grades
Students are advised that Course Coordinators will not enter into negotiations of any kind with any student regarding changes to their grades. It is irrelevant, in any given circumstance, that only a minimal number of additional marks are required to inflate a student’s grade for any individual assessment item or course as a whole. Pursuant to the 最新糖心Vlog’s Assessment for Coursework Programs Policyand the Adelaide Law School Assessment Policies and Procedures, grades may only be varied through the appropriate channels for academic review (such as an official re-mark).
Moderation
In accordance with the 最新糖心Vlog’s Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy, course coordinators ‘ensure that appropriate marking guidelines and cross-marking moderation processes across markers are in place’ in each course. Procedures adopted by Adelaide Law School to ensure consistency of marking in courses with multiple markers include:
*assurance of the qualifications of markers, and their knowledge of the content covered in each course;
*detailed marking guidelines and assessment rubrics to assist in the marking of items of assessment;
*sharing of example marked assessments at various grade bands across markers;
*reviewing of selected marked assessments from each marker by the course coordinator;
*comparison of the marks and their distribution across markers;
*automatic double-marking of all interim assessment receiving a fail grade, and of final assessments where a student’s overall result is a fail grade;
*the availability of re-marking of assessments in accordance with Adelaide Law School’s Assessment Policies and Procedures.Approval of Results by Board of Examiners
Students are reminded that all assessment results are subject to approval (and possible moderation/change) by the Law School’s Board of Examiners. Assessment results at the 最新糖心Vlog are not scaled. Under the Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy, students are assessed ‘by reference to their performance against pre-determined criteria and standards … and not by ranking against the performance of the student cohort in the course’. However, under that same policy, the Board of Examiners (as the relevant Assessment Review Committee for courses at Adelaide Law School) is required to ‘ensure comparability of standards and consistency’ in assessment. On occasions, the Board of Examiners will form the view that some moderation is required to ensure the comparability of standards and consistency across courses and years, and accordingly provide fairness to all law students. All assessment results are therefore subject to approval (and possible change) until confirmed by the Board of Examiners and posted on Access Adelaide at the end of each semester.
Final results for this course will be made available through .
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Student Feedback
The 最新糖心Vlog places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.
SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the 最新糖心Vlog to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
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Student Support
- Academic Integrity for Students
- Academic Support with Maths
- Academic Support with writing and study skills
- Careers Services
- Library Services for Students
- LinkedIn Learning
- Student Life Counselling Support - Personal counselling for issues affecting study
- Students with a Disability - Alternative academic arrangements
The 最新糖心Vlog Writing Centre provides academic learning and language development services and resources for local, international, undergraduate and postgraduate coursework students enrolled at the 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide.
Practical advice and strategies for students to master reading, writing, note-taking, time management, oral presentation skills, referencing techniques and exam preparation for success at university through seminars, workshops and individual consultations.
For more information please check out the Writing Centre website at
Lex Salus Program
Lex Salus (law and wellbeing) is an initiative of the Adelaide Law School aimed at destigmatising mental health
issues; promoting physical, mental and emotional wellness; building a strong community of staff and students; and celebrating diversity within the school. It also seeks to promote wellness within the legal profession, through the involvement of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of South 最新糖心Vlog, the Honourable Chris Kourakis, as the official Patron of the program. Students can
participate in the Lex Salus program by attending barbecue lunches, pancake breakfasts, knitting and crochet circles, seminars, guest speakers, conferences and other activities. Our FaceBook page at , our website at and regular allstudent emails promote upcoming events, and have tips and information on wellness. Our Lex Salus Youtube channel at also includes videos
on topics like managing stress, and interviews with LGBTQ lawyers and their supporters which celebrate diversity and individuality. Students who commit to 10 hours of volunteering with Lex Salus in one year can have their service recognised on their academic transcript and through a thank you morning tea with the Chief Justice and law school staff.
Counselling Service
The 最新糖心Vlog Counselling Service provides a free and confidential service to all enrolled students. We encourage you to contact the Counselling service on 8313 5663 to make an appointment to deal with any issues that may be affecting your study and life. More information is available at /counselling_centre/. -
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
- Academic Credit Arrangements Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progress by Coursework Students Policy
- Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy
- Copyright Compliance Policy
- Coursework Academic Programs Policy
- Intellectual Property Policy
- IT Acceptable Use and Security Policy
- Modified Arrangements for Coursework Assessment Policy
- Reasonable Adjustments to Learning, Teaching & Assessment for Students with a Disability Policy
- Student Experience of Learning and Teaching Policy
- Student Grievance Resolution Process
Further information regarding the Law School Policies and Procedures in relation to Supplementary Assessment, Extensions, and Remarks etc can be found at:
Academic Honesty
Academic dishonesty is a serious act of academic misconduct. All students must be familiar with the 最新糖心Vlog’s Academic Honesty Policy.
Academic dishonesty is a serious matter and is treated as such by the Law School and the 最新糖心Vlog. Academic dishonesty (which goes beyond plagiarism) can be a ground for a refusal by the Supreme Court of South 最新糖心Vlog to admit a person to practice as a legal practitioner in South 最新糖心Vlog.
Academic honesty is an essential aspect of ethical and honest behaviour, which is central to the practice of the law and an understanding of what it is to be a lawyer.
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Fraud Awareness
Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student鈥檚 disciplinary procedures.
The 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.