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LAWS8104 Legislation and Legislative Drafting

LAWS8104 is only available under certain award programs.

Offered By Law School
Academic Career Graduate Coursework
Course Subject Laws
Offered in Winter Session, 2012, Winter Session, 2013, and Spring Session, 2013
Unit Value 6 units
Course Description

Objectives:
This course provides students with:

  • knowledge of the nature of legislative drafting and the role of the legislative drafter in the legislative process
  • basic skills for drafting legislation
  • an understanding of how the interpretation of legislation affects, and is affected by, legislative drafting techniques

Content:
Principal topics:

  • what is legislation?
  • the role of the legislative drafter
  • legislative drafting techniques
  • the role of parliamentary scrutiny committees
  • legislative interpretation in the context of legislative drafting
Learning Outcomes

Students will:

  • increase their knowledge of legislation and the legislative drafting process
  • acquire some foundation skills in legislative drafting
  • enhance their capacity to analyse and interpret legislation.
Indicative Assessment

Assessment will involve practical drafting exercises, a major drafting assignment, a statutory interpretation assignment and a short essay on delegated legislation.

Students must rely on the Approved Assessment which will be posted to the Wattle course site prior to the commencement of the course.

Workload

26 Contact Hours (Intensive Delivery) - Two weekend blocks (4 full days).

Click here for current timetable.

Course Classification(s) AdvancedAdvanced courses are designed for students having reached 'first degree' level of assumed knowledge, which provide a deep understanding of contemporary issues; or 'second degree' and higher levels of knowledge; or for transition to research training programs. and SpecialistSpecialist courses are designed for students having reached 'first degree' level of assumed knowledge, which provide for the acquisition of specialist skills; or 'second degree' and higher level of knowledge; or for transition to research training programs; or knowledge associated with professional accreditation.
Areas of Interest Law
Assumed Knowledge and
Required Skills

 Students should have one or more of:

  • a legal qualification
  • knowledge of law or legislation acquired in the course of non-legal studies
  • professional experience working with legislation.  This need not be "legal" professional experience - for example, experience in government employment with the legislative process is fine.
Requisite Statement

LAWS8568 Fundamentals of Government and Commercial Law (non-lawyers)

Technology Requirements

Access to a computer and the internet

Programs Graduate Diploma in Government and Commercial Law, Graduate Diploma in Government and Commercial Law, Master of Government and Commercial Law, Master of Government and Commercial Law, Master of Laws (Legal Practice), Master of Laws (Legal Practice), Master of Legal Studies, Master of Legal Studies, and Master of Laws
Other Information

This course offers students a rare opportunity to gain an insight into a specialised area of government law.  The course is taught by an experienced legislative drafter and an academic expert in statutory interpretation and delegated legislation.

The challenge of legislative drafting is to express complex concepts in clear language, and to embody them in effective legal rules.  Students will be given the opportunity to develop some foundation skills in drafting legislation, and to combine this with a study of statutory interpretation and subordinate legislation.

It is a practical course.  It will be taught (in two weekend blocks) by a combination of lectures and tutorials.

Academic Contact Nick Horn and Graduate Administration

The information published on the Study at ANU 2012 website applies to the 2012 academic year only. All information provided on this website replaces the information contained in the Study at ANU 2011 website.

Updated:   13 Nov 2015 / Responsible Officer:   The Registrar / Page Contact:   Student Business Solutions