Law and Society (11257.1)

Please note these are the 2026 details for this unit
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Law and Society
Available teaching periods Delivery mode Location
View teaching periods Online real-time
On-campus
 Bruce, Canberra
EFTSL Credit points Faculty
0.125 3 Faculty Of Business, Government & Law
Discipline Study level HECS Bands
Canberra Law School Level 1 - Undergraduate Introductory Unit Band 2 2021 (Commenced Before 1 Jan 2021)
Band 4 2021 (Commenced After 1 Jan 2021)
Band 4 2021 (Commenced After 1 Jan Social Work_Exclude 0905)
Law and Society investigates how law impacts on and reflects a society. It examines law as a leading social institution, its role in society, its development, issues and reform. Topics include: understanding law, law and social thought, the legal system, the legal profession and discrimination.

Learning outcomes

After successful completion of this unit, students will be able to: 1. Explain the philosophical underpinnings and legal principles of western legal systems;
2. Understand law as a social system, including legal processes;
3. Engage with contemporary legal issues; and
4. Understand issues within the legal system and related law reform.


Graduate attributes

1. UC graduates are professional - communicate effectively
1. UC graduates are professional - employ up-to-date and relevant knowledge and skills
1. UC graduates are professional - use creativity, critical thinking, analysis and research skills to solve theoretical and real-world problems
2. UC graduates are global citizens - think globally about issues in their profession
2. UC graduates are global citizens - adopt an informed and balanced approach across professional and international boundaries
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - reflect on their own practice, updating and adapting their knowledge and skills for continual professional and academic development
4. UC graduates are able to demonstrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing, being and doing - apply their knowledge to working with Indigenous Australians in socially just ways
4. UC graduates are able to demonstrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing, being and doing - communicate and engage with Indigenous Australians in ethical and culturally respectful ways
4. UC graduates are able to demonstrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing, being and doing - use Indigenous histories and traditional ecological knowledge to develop and augment understanding of their discipline
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - adapt to complexity, ambiguity and change by being flexible and keen to engage with new ideas
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - evaluate and adopt new technology


Prerequisites

None.

Corequisites

None.

Equivalent units

6599 Law and Society

Assumed knowledge

None.
Availability for enrolment in 2026 is subject to change and may not be confirmed until closer to the teaching start date.
Year Location Teaching period Teaching start date Delivery mode Unit convener
2025 Bruce, Canberra Semester 2 28 July 2025 Online real-time Prof Maree Sainsbury
2025 Bruce, Canberra Semester 2 28 July 2025 On-campus Prof Maree Sainsbury
2026 Bruce, Canberra Semester 2 10 August 2026 Online real-time Prof Maree Sainsbury
2026 Bruce, Canberra Semester 2 10 August 2026 On-campus Prof Maree Sainsbury
The information provided should be used as a guide only. Timetables may not be finalised until week 2 of the teaching period and are subject to change. Search for the unit timetable.

Required texts

Required text: 
S Bottomley and S Bronitt, Law in Context, 5th ed, Federation Press, 2023

C.Radavoi and S. Norris, Australian Law in Context: Social, Political and Global Perspectives, LexisNexis, 2020.
 

All materials can be accessed through UC Library.

Readings on Reserve:
M Lippman, Law and Society, SAGE Publications, 2015

Additional learning materials to be provided through the Unit Canvas site.

 

Students must apply academic integrity in their learning and research activities at UC. This includes submitting authentic and original work for assessments and properly acknowledging any sources used.

Academic integrity involves the ethical, honest and responsible use, creation and sharing of information. It is critical to the quality of higher education. Our academic integrity values are honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility and courage.

UC students have to complete the Academic Integrity Module annually to learn about academic integrity and to understand the consequences of academic integrity breaches (or academic misconduct).

UC uses various strategies and systems, including detection software, to identify potential breaches of academic integrity. Suspected breaches may be investigated, and action can be taken when misconduct is found to have occurred.

Information is provided in the Academic Integrity Policy, Academic Integrity Procedure, and University of Canberra (Student Conduct) Rules 2023. For further advice, visit Study Skills.

Participation requirements

None

Required IT skills

This unit involves online meetings in real time using the Virtual Room in your UCLearn teaching site. The Virtual Room allows you to communicate in real time with your lecturer and other students. To participate verbally, rather than just typing, you will need a microphone. For best audio quality we recommend a microphone and speaker headset. For more information and to test your computer, go to the Virtual Room in your UCLearn site and 'Join Course Room'. This will trigger a tutorial to help familiarise you with the functionality of the virtual room.

Work placement, internships or practicums

None

Next step

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