This course imparts an understanding of Australian corporate law.  The course is structured to meet the admission requirements for practice as a legal practitioner in the Australian States and Territories. The following topics will be covered:

• incorporation and the concept of separate legal personality
• the corporate constitution
• membership of the corporation and share capital
• corporate contracting
• duties and liabilities of directors and officers
• basic features of the management of companies
• shareholders' remedies
• company credit and security arrangements
• winding up.

This course seeks to do two things:

• to encourage in students a critical appreciation of the important role of corporations and corporate law in modern society
• to give students an understanding of the principles and rules of Australian corporate law to a level that is sufficient to satisfy the requirements for admission to legal practice.

Having completed this course, a student should be able to:

• describe the basic rules and concepts of corporate law, such as separate legal personality, limited liability, and the duties of company directors
• evaluate corporate problems, identifying appropriate legal obligations, duties, rights and remedies
• demonstrate competency with the use of statutory material and its integration with common law principles.

Throughout the course, a student should aim to:

• develop an awareness of the socio-legal and economic dimensions of modern corporate law
• identify areas of corporate law in need of reform and be able to argue why that reform would be beneficial.

The assessment for this course will comprise an optional mid-semester assessment (either a case note or research essay) and a compulsory end of semester exam. More information about the means of assessment, including the relationship between the assessment and the learning outcomes of the course, will be available on the course home page by the first week of semester.

This course involves two two-hour lectures per week for the first seven weeks of the course. From week eight until week thirteen, students will also need to attend a one hour tutorial. However, during this time lectures shall reduce to one two-hour and one one-hour lecture per week.

Contracts LAWS1204.
Completed or completing five LAWS courses at 1000 level.

Information about prescribed texts will be made available in the course outline.  See the course home page.

The preliminary reading required for this course will be available on the course home page at least one week prior to the commencement of the course.

This course is a prerequisite for Takeovers and Securities Industry Law and Bankruptcy and Insolvency. Corporations Law is normally taken in either 3rd or 4th year of a combined degree.