Other staff teaching this course are: Associate Professor Peter Burdon, Associate Professor Alex Reilly and Kellie Toole.
Dr Grenfell can be contacted via email at laura.grenfell@adelaide.edu.au or by phone at 8313 5777.

Students successfully completing this course will be able to:

(1) Listen to, engage respectfully with, and reflect critically on, Aboriginal perspectives on white law and its impact on Aboriginal culture and law;

(2) Read, synthesise, analyse and evaluate primary and secondary materials with a critical understanding of how the law impacts on Aboriginal peoples at structural and individual levels;

(3) Recognise and assess the effect of multiple barriers facing Aboriginal peoples in accessing and engaging with white law;

(4) Communicate clearly and concisely in written form; and

(5) Communicate orally about legal principles and institutions and their impact on Aboriginal peoples.

There is no required textbook for this course but please see recommended resources.

A useful textbook for this course is: Heather McRae, Garth Nettheim and Luke McNamara, Indigenous Legal Issues: Commentary and Materials (4th ed 2009). Note that this is not a required textbook but it could be of assistance to you.

Other recommended resources are:

Alex Reilly, Anne Curthoys and Ann Genovese, Rights and Redemption: History, Law and Indigenous People (2012, UNSW Press).

Shaun Berg (ed), Coming to Terms: Aboriginal Title in South Australia (2010); 

Elliott Johnston, Martin Hinton and Daryle Rigney (eds), Indigenous Australians and the Law (2nd ed, 2008)
 
Sarah Maddison and Morgan Brigg (eds), Unsettling the settler state: creativity and resistance in indigenous settler-state governance (2010)

Henry Reynolds, The Law of the Land (Penguin, 1992)

Christopher Alcantara, Negotiating the Deal: Comprehensive Land Claims Agreements in Canada (University of Toronto Press, 2013).

Sean Brennan, Larissa Behrendt, Lisa Strelein and George Williams,Treaty (Federation Press, 2005).
 
Sean Brennan, Megan Davis, Brendan Edgeworth and Leon Terrill (eds), Native Title from Mabo to Akiba: A Vehicle for Change and Empowerment? (Federation Press 2015)

Indigenous Law Bulletin (2015) Vol 9/18 – see the whole edition on the constitutional models being debated.

The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Deaths in Custody Reports Vols 1-3

The course is supported by the Aboriginal Peoples and the Law MyUni website. The website contains links to the following resources:

Course information, including the Course Profile.


Course materials – such as items of assessment, lecture PowerPoint slides, and other course materials which will be posted from time to time.


Lectures – audio streaming of lectures and video streaming of lecture slides will be posted (where available) under the Course Materials link as soon as possible after each lecture.


Discussion Board – This is available for students to discuss the course among themselves and to communicate with academic staff in relation to administrative or substantive questions about the course.


My Grades – where students’ grades will be entered for each assignment.

MyUni will also be used to post announcements, and assignment tasks. Students are expected to check MyUni regularly to keep up to date with these materials and additional learning resources throughout the course.

Students should also regularly check their email.

This course will be taught intensively.

It will begin with a compulsory two-night stay at Camp Coorong, the cultural centre of the Ngarrindjeri nation, which is located on the Coorong. At Camp Coorong, Ngarrindjeri elders will offer their perspectives on Aboriginal engagement with white law and also their own law and custom. This is an immersion experience which will involve formal and informal sessions as well as time for personal and small-group reflection. (It is estimated that Camp Coorong will cost up to $240 per student to cover transport to and from Camp Coorong, 2 nights of accommation and meals.  The exact cost will be notified closer to the course commencement and students will be asked to pay via an online shop.) 

Following Camp Coorong there will be four intensive teaching days in the Law School. Each intensive teaching day will have six contact hours. These contact hours will include some short lectures including guest lectures, but predominantly involve large and small group discussion and activities in which students will be required to research, discuss, debate and defend their analysis of the relevant material set in the course readings in addition to the Ngarrindjeri perspectives. It is absolutely critical that students have undertaken the reading before coming to class.

On Monday 25 July 2015 there will be a 2 hour Research Seminar to assist students with the research, structuring and drafting of their essays (12pm-2pm in Rm 113).

Contact time: The course will be made up of a two-night stay at Camp Coorong followed by four days each with six hours of contact. The days will commence at 10 am and conclude at 5 pm. Once Semester 2 begins, students will be given a 2 two-hour research seminar to assist them to write and research their research papers. A briefing will be held before Camp Coorong with details about the experience – the date will be electronically advised. This amounts to 36 hours of formal class time during the winter semester.

Preparation time: In addition to attending Camp Coorong and formal classes it is anticipated that students will do substantial independent work to prepare for the Camp and classes and to complete the course assignments. The University expects full time students (those undertaking 12 units per semester) to devote a total of 48 hours per week to their studies.

 


Class One

Monday 4th July- pm

Camp Coorong


Class Two

Tuesday 5th July - am and pm

Camp Coorong


Class Three

Wednesday 6th July - am

Camp Coorong


Class Four

Thursday 7th July - 10am -5 pm

Constitution and Sovereignty


Class Five

Friday 8th July – 10 am -5 pm

Criminal Law


Class Six

Monday 11th July 10 am -5 pm

Land Law


Class Seven

Tuesday 12th July 10 am -5 pm

Human Rights


Class Eight

Monday 25th July 12pm - 2 pm

Research

Students must attend Camp Coorong to be eligible to pass the course. If a student has not attended Camp Coorong and not participated in the planned sessions at Camp Coorong, they will be asked to withdraw from the course (before the census date 15 July 2016).

Compulsory Assessment Item	%of final mark	dates	Length	Redeemable?	GrouporIndividual?	LearningOutcomes
Class Participation	10%	continuous	N/A	No	Individual	1, 3, 5
Personal Reflection on Aboriginal Legal Perspectives	10%	Thursday 7th July 2016 at 10am	500 words	No	Individual	1, 2, 3, 4
Small Group Reflection on one of four themes (Land/Criminal Law/Sovereignty and Constitution/Human Rights	10%	Thursday 7th July 2016 at 10am	500 words	Yes	Group	1, 2, 3, 4
Research essay	70-80%	Monday 8th August 2016 at 2pm	3000 words (excluding footnote citations and bibliography)	No	Individual	1, 2, 3, 4

Please Note: Students must attend Camp Coorong to be eligible to pass the course. If a student has not attended Camp Coorong and not participated in the planned sessions at Camp Coorong, they will be asked to withdraw from the course (before the census date 15 July 2016).

Assessment Detail:

1. Class Participation (10%)
Students must participate in discussion at Camp Coorong (4 - 6 July 2015) and in the classroom. It is not expected that all comments are ‘correct’, but participation must be based on your reflective reading of the course materials and your reflective engagement with Aboriginal elders. Participation includes attendance of the sessions at Camp Coorong, and of at least 3 out of 4 intensive days at the Law School as well as the follow-up research seminar.




2. Personal Reflection on Aboriginal Legal Perspectives (10%)

Students must submit a 500 word personal reflection on Aboriginal legal perspectives following their experience at Camp Coorong. Guiding questions will be provided before the Camp begins. The reflection can be written through dot points but it must include legal analysis – it cannot merely describe or transcribe what was said at Camp Coorong. Students will be given time at Camp Coorong to begin drafting these reflections. No footnoting or referencing is required. This reflection must be submitted by Thursday 7th July 2016 at 10am.




3. Small group Reflection on one of 4 themes. (10%, redeemable)
Students must submit a 500 word small group reflection on one of four substantive themes very shortly following their experience at Camp Coorong. The reflection can be written through dot points but it must include legal analysis – it cannot merely describe or transcribe what was said at Camp Coorong. Students will be placed in small groups of 2-3 prior to attending Camp Coorong and will be given time at Camp Coorong to begin drafting these small group reflections. Guiding questions will be provided before the Camp begins. No footnoting or referencing is required. This reflection must be submitted by Thursday 7th July 2016 at 10am.




4. Research Essay (70-80%)
Students must submit a 3,000 word essay. Students can choose from a set list of questions (connected to the four themes) provided at the beginning of the course. Essays must be adequately referenced and conform to the Australian Guide to Legal Citation, they must not have been previously submitted for any other course and they must have a bibliography appropriate for the topic. This research essay must be submitted by Monday the 8th August 2015 by 2pm. Students will be able to speak to the course coordinator about their research essays at the planned 2 hour research seminar on Monday the 25th July from 12-2pm in Rm 113. The research essay is due on Monday the 8th August 2016 at 2pm.

Submission

Assignments must be handed in electronically by Turnitin. Students must ensure their student number appears on all written work submitted for assessment.

Electronic copies of the assignment as handed in must be retained by students.

Assignments will be returned electronically.

It is also advisable to keep written work after it has been assessed and returned.

Extensions

Extensions are granted at the discretion of Course Coordinator. Extensions beyond the due date are usually only granted in the case of significant unforeseen incapacity.

Students who wish to apply, should apply for an extension by completing the online Application for Extension form (found at https://unified.adelaide.edu.au/group/law-school/forms-and-downloads The application must give details of the extent and length of the student’s incapacity, and the length of extension that is requested. The Course Coordinator will email students with the outcome of their request as soon as possible after it is received. If an extension is granted, it is only provisional until formal evidence of the incapacity is received. Students must attach this evidence as well as the email granting the extension to the assignment when it is submitted. The evidence submitted must be consistent with details provided in the email requesting the extension. If the details of the request for an extension, and the medical or other evidence verifying the reason for the extension are not consistent in all respects, the extension may be nullified, and the Course Coordinator may in their discretion decide not to accept the assignment, or impose a penalty for late submission.

You can apply for an extension at any time before the due date for an assignment. However, you are strongly advised to make your application as soon as the need becomes apparent. Delay in making an application obviously involves the risk that there will be insufficient time to complete the assignment (with consequential loss of marks) if the application for extension is refused.

If an application is made within two days of the due date, or after the due date has expired, it will not be granted unless the Course Co-ordinator is satisfied:

that the circumstances warrant an extension; and

there was no unreasonable delay in making the application.

If your request for an extension is rejected, you can appeal via the Student Grievance Resolution Process.


Penalties for Late Submission

5% of the total mark possible will be deducted for every 24 hours or part thereof that it is late, including each day on a weekend. For example, an essay that is submitted after the due date and time but within the first 24 hour period, and that has been graded at 63%, will have 5% deducted, for a final grade of 58%. An essay that is more than 24 hours late will lose 10%, etc.


Penalties for Exceeding Stipulated Word Length

Assignments which exceed the allocated length (word length or page limit) will be subject to a penalty of 5% of total marks possible per 100 words or part thereof (ie with a word limit of 3,000, an essay graded 63% will have 5% deducted if it is 3001 words long, for a final grade of 58%, 10% if it is 3101 words long, etc). Words are calculated including all footnotes and headings within the text but excluding cover page information and bibliography. Quotations and all referencing information are included in the word count.Assignments must be handed in electronically by Turnitin. Students must ensure their student number appears on all written work submitted for assessment.
 

The University Writing Centre provides academic learning and language development services and resources for local, international, undergraduate and postgraduate coursework students enrolled at the University of Adelaide.

Practical advice and strategies for students to master reading, writing, note-taking, time management, oral presentation skills, referencing techniques and exam preparation for success at university through seminars, workshops and individual consultations.

For more information please check out the Writing Centre website at http://www.adelaide.edu.au/writingcentre/  

Lex Salus Program

Lex Salus was founded in 2013 by Adelaide Law School Wellbeing officers Ms Corinne Walding, Ms Kellie Toole and Dr Mark Giancaspro. Lex Salus is an initiative of the Adelaide Law School aimed at raising law student awareness of the importance of mental, physical and nutritional health across all year levels of the degree, and of the various counselling, disability and equity services both within and outside the University that can provide help. Research shows that law students, both in Australia and in many jurisdictions around the world, experience the highest levels of stress, anxiety and depression out of any other discipline. Many do not get enough sleep, maintain a healthy diet or achieve a realistic work/life balance. Making matters worse, they are unwilling or afraid to speak up for fear of feeling 'weak' or because of the negative stigma that attaches to seeking help. Lex Salus is dedicated to tackling these problems head-on.

Counselling Service

The University Counselling Service provides a free and confidential service to all enrolled students. We encourage you to contact the Counselling service on 8313 5663 to make an appointment to deal with any issues that may be affecting your study and life. More information is available at https://www.adelaide.edu.au/counselling_centre/.

Further information regarding the Law School Policies and Procedures in relation to Supplementary Assessment, Extensions, and Remarks etc can be found at:

https://unified.adelaide.edu.au/group/law-school/policies-and-procedures

Plagiarism and other forms of cheating

Plagiarism is a serious act of academic misconduct. All students must be familiar with the Adelaide Law School Enrolment Guide, and should note in particular the sections relating to plagiarism, grievance procedures and academic conduct within the Law School and the University.

Plagiarism is a serious matter and is treated as such by the Law School and the University. Please be aware that “academic dishonesty” (which goes beyond plagiarism) can be a ground for a refusal by the Supreme Court of South Australia to refuse to admit a person to practice as a legal practitioner in South Australia.

Academic honesty is an essential aspect of ethical and honest behaviour, which is central to the practice of the law and an understanding of what it is to be a lawyer.