Legal Systems in South East Asia
LAWS5194
This unit introduces students to the legal systems of Southeast Asia, focusing on Indonesia and Malaysia. The course emphasises legal pluralism - that is, the operation of different bodies of law for particular groups in those countries, colonial, national, Islamic and customary law - and compares how countries in Southeast Asia have handled it. The Indonesia component of the course will be taught at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, which has one of Indonesia's finest law faculties. Students will learn the fundamentals of the Indonesian legal system. The component will be geared towards not only those who want to practice commercial law in Indonesia, but also those who are interested in other areas, including law reform, human rights, Islamic law, constitutional law, environmental law and criminal law. The Malaysian component will be taught at the International Islamic University in Kuala Lumpur, which has one of the largest and most prestigious law faculties in Malaysia. Established in 1983, the faculty has sought to teach and provide expertise on harmonizing Shari'a with Civil and Common Law. Students will learn the fundamentals of the Malaysian legal system in the contexts of Malaysia's competing ethnicities, political and economic reform and the harmonization of laws. A particular focus will be on the dual banking system and the role of Islamic law in the development of trade, banking and finance.
Unit of study details
Unit of study level: Postgraduate
Credit points: 6
Commencing semesters: 15, 107
Further unit of study information
Unit of study handbook: LAWS5194
Costs and scholarships information: Costs and Scholarships
Final dates to withdraw from units of study: Census Dates
Available for study abroad and exchange: No