13 Legal Studies (13LAW)
13LAW Course DescriptionTeacher in Charge: Nadene Brouwer, Kat Anderson.
Recommended Prior LearningOpen Entry
This is a literacy rich subject
13 Legal Studies
This course aims to give students an in-depth knowledge, understanding and appreciation of NZ's legal system. This course is valuable for students who wish to study law or criminal justice at tertiary level or have a career which is linked to the legal system. Students do not need to have studied L2 Legal Studies in order to study L3 Legal Studies however, strength in literacy rich subjects is suggested.
This course offers Unit Standards at Achieve, Merit and Excellence grades. (Not a UE Subject)
Potential Components
- Examine a past law reform campaign
- Explore aspects of criminal law including sentencing
- Examine aspects of imprisonment in New Zealand
- Discover key concepts of NZ legal system, and historical factors contributing to this.
Course Overview
Term 1
U.S. 27843 v3 Evaluate a concept of law in relation to an actual situation, 4 credits
We will explore the mens rea defence of provocation and the privacy law and public sharing of information. Students may also have the opportunity to complete a research task on a human rights topic of their interest.
Term 2
U.S 27840 v2a Evaluate concepts of justice in relation to a specific situation, 4 credits
Students will learn to explore and evaluate the theories or principles that inform how we judge the fairness of the application of law. This includes name suppression and the judge and jury system. Students will investigate concepts of justice and how they are applied both in and out of the court room.
U.S. 12356 v7 Demonstrate knowledge of consumer problems and how to solve them, 3 credits
In this unit we will look into legislation relating to Consumer Law including both the Fair Trading Act and Consumer Guarantees Act to help us to understand consumer law in Aotearoa. Students will also have the opportunity to identify and connect with agencies that can support consumer-based issues.
Term 3
U.S. 27852 v3a Evaluate systems of government and their formation, 4 Credits
Students will look deeply into different types of government including; constitutional monarchies, parliamentary democracies and dictatorships. Through their evaluation of each system, they will need to consider the strengths, weaknesses and consequences of each.
Term 4
U.S. 27849 v3 Evaluate a law-making process in relation to a significant legal issue, 4 Credits
Students will analyse the legal processes that were followed in relation to a significant legal issue that is related to an introduction of or change to, a current piece of legislation in Aotearoa.
Assessment Information
Possible Credits
External - 0 credits
Internal - 16 credits
Unit standards are worth Achieved, Merit, Excellence