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Unit of Study LAWS4008 - Theories of Law (2025)

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Unit Snapshot

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Unit description

Identifies and evaluates some of the theoretical frameworks that inform legal knowledge and legal practice. Analyses a number of philosophical perspectives having implications for law, legal institutions and legal practices. Enables us to better appreciate the ethical and socio-political consequences of our practice as lawyers.

Unit content

Module 1: Natural Law and Legal Positivism

Module 2: Continental and American Realism

Module 3: Critical Legal Theories: Class, Race and Gender

Module 4: Postmodernism: Deconstruction and Semiotics

Module 5: Eco-jurisprudence 

Module 6: Colonialism and Legal Theory 

Availabilities

Location Domestic International
Gold Coast
Term3
Term3
Online
Term3
Term3

Learning outcomes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

demonstrate an advanced understanding of the central concerns of both traditional jurisprudence and contemporary legal theory

demonstrate an ability to critically appraise the philosophical assumptions that inform the teaching, learning, and practice of Anglo-Australian law

demonstrate an ability to critically evaluate the relationship between theory and practice, in particular, the relationship between ideas about law and specific social, political, and legal practices

identify and evaluate the ethical frameworks within which our practice, both as lawyers and non-lawyers, operates.

Prescribed learning resources

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Prescribed Learning Resources may change in future Teaching Periods.