LAW 121G : Law and Society
Law
2020 Semester Two (1205) (15 POINTS)
Course Prescription
Course Overview
1. The Branches of Government and Historical Background
2. Concepts of Law
3. The Global Context of Law
4. Law and Rights
5. Constitutional Directions
The course aims to encourage you to think about the characteristics of the New Zealand legal system and constitution, its colonial origins and the contemporary place of the Treaty of Waitangi, and the impact of global perspectives on law in New Zealand. We invite you to develop your own views on how law and the legal system relate to important issues within our society:
• Why do we have the type of legal system we have?
• What were, and are, the influences (local and global) that frame it?
• How does it affect different groups of people?
• Does a legal system derived from Britain in the colonial era adequately deal with the rights of Maori and the duties of the Crown under the Treaty of Waitangi as they are now understood?
• Are there alternative constitutional arrangements that would more adequately meet the needs of all peoples in this country?
Capabilities Developed in this Course
Capability 1: | Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice |
Capability 2: | Critical Thinking |
Capability 3: | Solution Seeking |
Capability 4: | Communication and Engagement |
Capability 5: | Independence and Integrity |
Capability 6: | Social and Environmental Responsibilities |
Learning Outcomes
- Understand and evaluate how the New Zealand legal system works (Capability 1)
- Understand and critically evaluate some of the historical, political and international forces that have shaped and influenced the New Zealand legal system (Capability 1 and 2)
- Understand and explain Māori worldviews and the place of te Tiriti o Waitangi in the New Zealand legal system and constitution (Capability 1 and 6)
- Understand and analyse the role of international law in the New Zealand legal system (Capability 1)
- Critically assess the New Zealand legal system and offer informed opinions on how it operates, its strengths and its weaknesses (Capability 1 and 2)
- Provide well-founded thoughts and analysis on an array of contemporary and historic legal matters of significance to New Zealand (Capability 1 and 2)
- Identify, explain and evaluate possible future directions for the New Zealand constitution and legal system (Capability 1, 2 and 3)
- write coherent and well-reasoned essays (Capability 1, 2, 4 and 5)
- Apply some theoretical lenses to legal matters (Capability 1 and 2)
- Respects cultural and other forms of diversity and embraces difference (Capability 1 and 6)
Assessments
Assessment Type | Percentage | Classification |
---|---|---|
Essay | 30% | Individual Coursework |
Final Exam | 70% | Individual Examination |
Early assessment | Individual Coursework | |
3 types | 100% |
Assessment Type | Learning Outcome Addressed | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
Essay | ||||||||||
Final Exam | ||||||||||
Early assessment |
Learning Resources
The Course Materials are the only written resource you will need for this course. You will need access to the Course Materials for each class – either by printing off from the PDF file of the materials, or having a computer screen containing the PDF of the materials open (if you bring a computer to class), or by bringing a copy of the Course Materials book with you if you choose to buy that book.
The materials contain selected extracts from useful articles, books and cases. Some material is on Canvas only for reasons of copyright and length.
Readings are clearly allocated for each lecture as set out in the Class Schedule.
The readings consist of a variety of materials. A short introduction to the readings appears at the beginning of each class.
There are no prescribed textbooks for the course. If you do wish to read an introductory law text about the New Zealand legal system, then two books stocked in the ubiq bookshop (formerly the University Bookshop) are recommended for your consideration:
Jacinta Ruru, Paul Scott & Duncan Webb The New Zealand Legal System: Structures and Processes (6th ed, Lexis Nexis, 2016) Call Number - 349.95 M47 2016 (General Library Matauranga Maori Level G)
G Morris Law Alive: The New Zealand Legal System in Context (4th ed, Oxford University Press, 2019) Call Number - 349.95 M87 2015 (General Library Matauranga Maori Level G)
Workload Expectations
This is a standard 15-point course. There will be around 36 hours of lectures in this course. As a general guide, you should expect a workload of three hours outside of the classroom for each hour spent in class. The guideline for the total workload for this course is 150 hours.
Digital Resources
Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).
Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.
Academic Integrity
The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.
Inclusive Learning
All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course director, lecturer or tutor.
Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website at http://disability.auckland.ac.nz
Special Circumstances
If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a Student Academic and Support Adviser as soon as possible before the assessment is due.
If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.
This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.
Student Feedback
At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.
Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.
Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.
Student Charter and Responsibilities
The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter (https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html).
Disclaimer
Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.
In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.