Themes
The six themes that are incorporated across topic areas and reflected in the
outcomes of the Preliminary and HSC courses are:
Justice, law and society
¥ the interrelationship between the concepts of justice, law and society
Continuity and change
¥ the evolution of legal rules and institutions
¥ the importance of precedent in establishing rules
¥ the effects of social, political, economic and ideological factors and of community
attitudes
¥ the means and processes by which the law changes
Culture, values and ethics
¥ the extent to which law reflects the culture and values of different societies and
groups within society
¥ the importance of ethics in the functioning of society
Legal process and institutions
¥ how laws are made
¥ the nature of legal institutions such as parliaments, courts, the United Nations
¥ the adjudication and settlement of disputes and enforcement of legal rules
Conflict and cooperation
¥ the nature and extent of conflict in society
¥ the place of law in resolving conflict and encouraging cooperation
Effectiveness of the legal system
Effectiveness within the legal system has a number of meanings. They include:
¥ the extent to which an issue can be dealt with by the law
¥ if an issue is dealt with by the law, how well it is dealt with in terms of ease of
access, simplicity, consistency, predictability and delivery of just outcomes
¥ the capacity of a law to stop or change human behaviour.
The six themes that are incorporated across topic areas and reflected in the
outcomes of the Preliminary and HSC courses are:
Justice, law and society
¥ the interrelationship between the concepts of justice, law and society
Continuity and change
¥ the evolution of legal rules and institutions
¥ the importance of precedent in establishing rules
¥ the effects of social, political, economic and ideological factors and of community
attitudes
¥ the means and processes by which the law changes
Culture, values and ethics
¥ the extent to which law reflects the culture and values of different societies and
groups within society
¥ the importance of ethics in the functioning of society
Legal process and institutions
¥ how laws are made
¥ the nature of legal institutions such as parliaments, courts, the United Nations
¥ the adjudication and settlement of disputes and enforcement of legal rules
Conflict and cooperation
¥ the nature and extent of conflict in society
¥ the place of law in resolving conflict and encouraging cooperation
Effectiveness of the legal system
Effectiveness within the legal system has a number of meanings. They include:
¥ the extent to which an issue can be dealt with by the law
¥ if an issue is dealt with by the law, how well it is dealt with in terms of ease of
access, simplicity, consistency, predictability and delivery of just outcomes
¥ the capacity of a law to stop or change human behaviour.
