Semester 1:
Adelaide Law School
Ligertwood Building, North Terrace, Room 307
Telephone: 83135104
Email: stacey.henderson@adelaide.edu.au  
Course Website: myuni.adelaide.edu.au

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Semester 2:
Professor Christopher Symes
Email: christopher.f.symes@adelaide.edu.au

Dr Stacey Henderson
Email: stacey.henderson@adelaide.edu.au

On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

1.  Identify and discuss fundamental legal issues in commercial scenarios and the applicable legislation and partnership law and corporate law principles.
2.  Apply critical thinking and problem solving skills in relation to given partnership law and corporate law scenarios.
3.  Communicate information and ideas effectively using academically and professionally relevant language.
4.  Apply commercial law concepts to authentic and relevant scenarios and problems.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

The continuing development of good interpersonal skills and communication skills is widely regarded as important for all graduates. This course specifically seeks to develop students’ abilities in oral and written communications. It provides opportunities for students to practice in small working groups.

1.  Students are permitted to take the below textbook(s) into the examination room:

Chapple E (ed), Company Law: An Interactive Approach
Publisher: Wiley
Edition: 2017
ISBN: 9780730335924

The Lecturer and Tutors will make reference to this textbook throughout the course so each student should ensure that they have their own copy.
             

2.  Statute/Legislation

Corporations Act 2001 (edition 2018)
Publisher: CCH, Butterworths or Thomson Lawbook

It is essential that students purchase this legislation as the subject lecturers and tutors will refer to the relevant sections during the course.

The Corporations Act 2001 is also available at www.austlii.edu.au

Students may find the following additional textbook helpful but are not expected to purchase it:
 
Lipton P, Herzberg A and Welsh, M, Understanding Company Law, 19th Edition, 2018
Publisher: Thomson Reuters
ISBN: 9780455240213

INTERNET SITES

Lecture slides, tutorial questions, other course materials and resources, additional web-links, assessment and important messages relating to the course will be placed on MyUni throughout the course. MyUni can be found at www.myuni.adelaide.edu.au

Students will also find materials such as case law, legislation and other information related to the topics in the course at the following internet sites:

Australian Securities and Investments Commission: www.asic.gov.au  

State and Commonwealth Cases, Legislation and legal journal articles: www.austlii.edu.au 


 
 

1. TEACHING AND LEARNING MODES

Teaching will be by way of:

(i)  One two-hour lecture per week and

(ii) One one-hour tutorial each week (tutorials commencing in week 2 of semester) and

(iii)  One 90-minute Small Group Discovery Experience (SGDE) exam problem workshop in weeks 4, 8 and 12.


2. TUTORIALS

Tutorials are a vital component in this subject. As such, it is important that students attend tutorials. The ability to recognise and
discuss relevant legal issues in a commercial scenario is the primary aim of this subject. In tutorials students are expected to engage in the learning process and actively participate in class discussions. At times in tutorials students will be divided into small groups whereby there will be presentations by students of the tutorial problems.

Preparation, attendance and participation in the Tutorials forms part of the assessment for the course (see below Assessment Detail).

The University expects full-time students (i.e. those taking 12 units per semester) to devote a total of 48 hours per week to their studies. This means that you are expected to commit approximately 9 hours for a three-unit course of private study
outside of your regular classes.

Students in this course are expected to attend all lectures and Small Group Discovery Experience (SGDE) exam problem workshops throughout the semester plus their allocated one hour tutorial class each week.

1.  LECTURE TOPICS

Lectures will cover the following topics:
 
Sole Traders
Partnerships
Joint Ventures
Syndicates
Trusts
The Concept of Corporate Personality
Types of Companies
Registration of Companies
The Corporate Constitution and Replaceable Rules
Promoters
Pre-Registration Contracts
Company Contracts
Criminal Liability of Companies
Tortious Liability of Companies
Management of Companies
Directors and Other Officers
Directors and Senior Management Duties
-Common Law and Equity
- Corporations Act
Company Financial Reporting
Auditors
Members’ Rights
Shares
Dividends
Corporate Borrowing
External Administration


2.  WEEKLY LECTURE TOPIC GUIDE

Week Number          Lecture Topic

1                              Course Introduction, Administration and Assessment

                                Sole Traders

                                Partnerships Part 1
                                Definition of a Partnership
                                Existence of a Partnership
 
2                              Partnerships Part 2
                                Existence of a Partnership (cont’d)
                                Wrongful Acts of the Partners
                                Power of a Partner to Bind the Firm
                                Holding Out as a Partner
                                Rights of Persons Dealing with the Partnership
                                Relations between Partners
 
3                              Partnerships Part 3
                                Relations between Partners (cont’d)
                                Partnership Property
                                Dissolution of a Partnership
 
                                Syndicates
 
                                Introduction to Trusts
                                Definition of a Trust
                                Trustee’s Duties
                                Trustee’s Liabilities
 
4                              Corporations
                                The Concept of Corporate Personality
                                Types of Companies
                                Registration of Companies
                                Constitution and Replaceable Rules
 
5                              Corporations
                                Promoters
                                Pre-Registration Contracts
                                Company Contracts
 
6                              Corporations
                                Company Contracts (cont’d)
                                Criminal Liability of Companies
                                Tortious Liability of Companies
                                Management of the Company

7                               Corporations
                                 Directors and Other Officers
                                 Directors and Senior Management Duties
                                 · Common Law and Equity
 
8                               Corporations
                                 Directors and Senior Management Duties
                                 · Corporations Act 
 
9                               Corporations
                                 Directors’ Duty to Prevent Insolvent Trading
                                 Company Financial Reporting and Auditing
 
10                             Corporations
                                 Company Financial Reporting and Auditing (cont’d)
 
11                             Corporations
                                 Members’ Rights
 
12                             Corporations
                                 Shares
                                 Dividends
                                 Corporate Borrowing
                                 External Administration

Small Group Discovery Experience (SGDE) Exam Problem Workshop

A Small Group Discovery Experience (SGDE) Exam Problem Workshop will be held in Weeks 4, 8 and 12

The SGDE Exam Problem Workshop topics are:

1.  Week 4 - The Existence of a Partnership
2.  Week 8 - Directors' Duties under the Common Law, Equity and the Corporations Act
3.  Week 12 - Members' Rights and Remedies under the Common Law, Equity and the Corporations Act

Teaching and Learning activities for the SGDE Exam Problem Workshops are:

1.  Optional - SGDE Feedback, Question and Discussion Component

Students should form themselves into groups of 2-3 students to attend the SGDE Workshops in the above weeks.  If you cannot form a group, please come to the SGDE Workshop and you will be allocated to a group atthe start of the Workshop. Students should prepare a written answer to the sample class test/assignment or exam question on the relevant topic which will be posted to the MyUni site.

Students, in their small groups, will contribute to drafting a model answer, receive feedback on their written work, ask questions and participate in discussion.

Some aspects of the SGDE Workshop cannot be recorded as there are multiple small groups receiving feedback, but best efforts will be made to record as much as is practicable.

2.  Publication of Feedback Available to All Students

Written feedback on the Worshop question and the collaborative model answer will be posted to the MyUni site for all students.

3.  Now Arrange Your SGDE Group

Students should arrange their small group of 2-3 students in time for each of the SGDE Workshops.  Again, unallocated students will be formed into groups at the start of the SGDE Workshop.

Assessment Task	Task Type	Release Date	Due	Weighting	Length	Redeemable	Learning Outcome
Tutorial Preparation, Attendance and Participation	Individual	N/A	N/A	10% (Compulsory)	1 hour weekly	No	1-4
Take-Home Class Test	Individual	12.00 midday Friday 23 March	2.00pm Friday 30 March	30% (Compulsory)	Max. 2,500 words	No	1-4
Final Exam	Individual	Examination Period	Examination Period	60% (Compulsory)	3 hour exam plus 10 minutes reading time	No	1-4

N/A

1.  ASSESSMENT DETAIL

The assessment components are as follows:

1.1  Tutorial Preparation, Attendance and Participation (compulsory) 10%

You must attend the weekly (commencing week 2) tutorial you are enrolled in to gain marks for preparation, attendance and participation.  Only a medical certificate or some significant reason as set out in the University's Modified Arrangements for Coursework Assessment (MACA) Policy accepted in writing by the Course Coordinator will excuse you
from attending.

1.2  Take-Home Class Test/Assignment (compulsory) 30%

Date and Time Posted to MyUni site: 12.00 midday Friday 23 March

Date and Time Due: 2.00pm Friday 30 March

Maximum Word Length: 2,500 words

The test/assignment is an open book test/assignment.

1.3  Final Exam (compulsory) 60%

There will be a 3 hour exam plus 10 minutes reading time.

The exam is an open book exam.

Official Reading Time:          10 mins
Writing Time:                       180 mins

Total Duration:                      190 mins

Please note that the following materials are permitted within the exam room:
· Prescribed textbook and any other textbooks, legislation, course materials and handouts, your own lecture notes and other summaries or notes written and prepared by you, and not prepared by or taken from someone else.

· English or English/foreign language dictionary (paper only).

The above materials may be typed.

The above materials may have additional handwritten written comments.

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES FOR CLASS TEST/ASSIGNMENT:

1. THE TEST/ASSIGNMENT IS COMPULSORY – All students must undertake the Test/Assignment as part of the assessment for the course.

2. ANSWER BOTH QUESTIONS 1 AND 2.

3. QUESTION 1 is worth 20 marks.

4. QUESTION 2 is worth 10 marks.

5. This is a ‘Take-Home’ and ‘Open Book’ test/assignment worth 30% of your overall grade for this subject.

6. Your answer must be no more than 2,500 words in content excluding footnotes. A penalty of a 3-mark reduction in mark will be imposed for every 100 words over the word limit.

7. Your answer must be type written and double spaced.  A font of not less than 12 must be used, and a word count shown at the end of your test answer. An answer that does not have a word-count may not be marked.

8. You must use footnotes to reference your answer NOT endnotes.  Footnotes should not, however, include content that is
essential to the reasoning on an issue. In other words, do not put any substantive or important text relevant to your answer in the footnotes as marks will generally not be given to the content of footnotes. 

The footnotes do not count in the word-count.

9. DO NOT PRINT OUT OR SUBMIT A COVER SHEET. 

10.   DO NOT SUBMIT A PAPER COPY OF YOUR ANSWER.  Students should ensure that a copy of the test/assignment answer is kept by the student. 

11.  Students please note that for your Class Test/Assignment answer, you must submit using the "Turnitin" process done through the MyUni site before 2.00PM FRIDAY 30 MARCH.

Turnitin is a computer programme that detects plagiarised work.  

To submit your answer:

(i)    On the MyUni site for the subject, click on the left-hand-side of the menu called “Assignments”.  This will give you access to the submission window. 

(ii)   The submission window is called “Take-Home Class Test Submission Portal”.  Click on this heading.

(iii) Follow the instructions to upload your answer.

Please note that your answer can only be uploaded once. Do not attempt to submit any further or revised answers
before the closing date.

12. Late submission of the test/assignment will attract a penalty, of a reduction in mark, of 10% (3 marks) for each day or part thereof.

13. A request for a re-mark of a test/assignment must be made within 10 business days of the results being made available on MyUni. Requests made outside this time limit will not be considered.

14. Assessment Criteria

(i)   The extent to which the answer identifies relevant partnership law and company law issues and sets out sound reasoning in support of the discussion.

(ii)   The extent to which the answer demonstrates knowledge and understanding of relevant topics of partnership law and company law, including having references to relevant sections of the Partnership Act 1891 (SA), the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) and applicable case law.

(iii)   Whether the answer is easy to read and understand. Students should use relevant headings and sub-headings
to assist ease of reading.  The headings and sub-headings do not count in the word-count.

(iv)   As Question 1 is a research question,  you are expected to show evidence of greater reading and knowledge beyond the textbook, Course Readers, lecture slides and materials for the course.

Courses for which a result of conceded pass has been obtained may not be presented towards the degree requirements for the Bachelor of Laws or the Honours Degree of Bachelor of Laws programs, or any postgraduate law program, nor to satisfy prerequisite requirements within any law course.

Finality of Assessment Grades

Students are advised that Course Coordinators will not enter into negotiations of any kind with any student regarding changes to their grades. It is irrelevant, in any given circumstance, that only a minimal number of additional marks are required to inflate a student’s grade for any individual assessment item or course as a whole. Pursuant to the University’s Assessment for Coursework Programs Policyand the Adelaide Law School Assessment Policies and Procedures, grades may only be varied through the appropriate channels for academic review (such as an official re-mark).

Moderation

In accordance with the University’s Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy, course coordinators ‘ensure that appropriate marking guidelines and cross-marking moderation processes across markers are in place’ in each course. Procedures adopted by Adelaide Law School to ensure consistency of marking in courses with multiple markers include:

• assurance of the qualifications of markers, and their knowledge of the content covered in each course;
• detailed marking guidelines and assessment rubrics to assist in the marking of items of assessment;
• sharing of example marked assessments at various grade bands across markers;
• reviewing of selected marked assessments from each marker by the course coordinator;
• comparison of the marks and their distribution across markers;
• automatic double-marking of all interim assessment receiving a fail grade, and of final assessments where a student’s overall result is a fail grade;
• the availability of re-marking of assessments in accordance with Adelaide Law School’s Assessment Policies and Procedures.

Approval of Results by Board of Examiners

Students are reminded that all assessment results are subject to approval (and possible moderation/change) by the Law School’s Board of Examiners. Assessment results at the University are not scaled. Under the Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy, students are assessed ‘by reference to their performance against pre-determined criteria and standards … and not by ranking against the performance of the student cohort in the course’. However, under that same policy, the Board of Examiners (as the relevant Assessment Review Committee for courses at Adelaide Law School) is required to ‘ensure comparability of standards and consistency’ in assessment. On occasions, the Board of Examiners will form the view that some moderation is required to ensure the comparability of standards and consistency across courses and years, and accordingly provide fairness to all law students. All assessment results are therefore subject to approval (and possible change) until confirmed by the Board of Examiners and posted on Access Adelaide at the end of each semester.

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.

The centre offers 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.

Lex Salus Program

Lex Salus (law and wellbeing) is an initiative of the Adelaide Law School aimed at destigmatising mental health issues; promoting physical, mental and emotional wellness; building a strong community of staff and students; and celebrating diversity within the school. It also seeks to promote wellness within the legal profession, through the involvement of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of South Australia, the Honourable Chris Kourakis, as the official Patron of the program.

Students can participate in the Lex Salus program by attending barbecue lunches, pancake breakfasts, knitting and crochet circles, seminars, guest speakers, conferences and other activities. Our Facebook page, website and regular all-student emails promote upcoming events, and have tips and information on wellness.

Our Lex Salus YouTube channel also includes videos on topics like managing stress, and interviews with LGBTQ lawyers and their supporters which celebrate diversity and individuality. Students who commit to 10 hours of volunteering with Lex Salus in one year can have their service recognised on their academic transcript and through a thank you morning tea with the Chief Justice and law school staff.

Student Life Counselling Support

The University’s Student Life Counselling Support service provides free and confidential service to all enrolled students. We encourage you to contact the Student Life Counselling Support service on 8313 5663 to make an appointment to deal with any issues that may be affecting your study and life.

Academic Honesty

Academic dishonesty is a serious act of academic misconduct. All students must be familiar with the University’s Academic Honesty Policy.

Academic dishonesty is a serious matter and is treated as such by the Law School and the University. Academic dishonesty (which goes beyond plagiarism) can be a ground for a refusal by the Supreme Court of South Australia 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.