LAW 2526 - Legal Theory
General Course Information
Course Details | Detailed Course Information | Course Staff | Course Timetable | Related Links
Course Details
| Course Code | LAW 2526 |
| Course | Legal Theory |
| Coordinating Unit | Law School, Faculty of the Professions |
| Term | Semester 2 2012 No offered in 2013 |
| Mode | Internal |
| Level | Undergraduate |
| Location/s | North Terrace |
| Units | 3 |
| Contact | 3 hours per week |
| Prerequisites | LAW 1501 |
| Corequisites | Not applicable |
| Incompatible | LAW 2064 |
| Assumed Knowledge | Not applicable |
| Restrictions | Not applicable |
| Quota | Not applicable |
| Course Description | This course introduces some of the philosophical questions raised by the practical workings of law. We will examine the nature of law and legal reasoning and how law is related to other social institutions, practices or discourses (primarily morality, politics and ideology). Such issues have been long debated, though our discussions will focus on readings drawn from a variety of influential and critical contemporary perspectives. The course also raises substantive issues of justice and morality. The primary aim is not to ask what the law should say in particular areas, but to examine some broader issues concerning the relationship between law, legal institutions and justice. Issues addressed will vary from year to year (depending, in part, on student interests) but may include: the role and value of the 'rule of law'; the communitarian critics of 'liberal' rights discourse; the economic analysis of law; the philosophical foundations of constitutionalism and the problem of constitutional interpretation; the extent of any moral obligation to obey the law; and how (if at all) law and legal institutions can help achieve justice in multicultural and/or post-colonial societies. No background in philosophy is assumed, though students should have a basic understanding of common law reasoning and the Australian constitutional system. |
Detailed Course Information
Includes Learning Objectives, Learning Resources, Teaching & Learning
Course Enrolment Dates and Fees
The enrolment dates, fees and full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from the Course Planner.
Course Staff
Dr Daniel McLoughlin
Law School
Faculty of the Professions
Room 312
Ligertwood Building
North Terrace
Telephone: +61 8 8313 4449
Email
