Useful links
Unit of study_
LAWS3528: The Commonwealth and the Common Law
2025 unit information
This unit of study examines the origins and development of the Australian state and its leal system. Starting from a selection of pivotal judgements, we will examine a series of historical debates about moral and political economiy under themes of empire, state and nation, persons and markets. We will do so through a close reading of major thinkers on law and social theory, include Harold Laski, Judith Shklar, Robert Nozick and Amartya Sen. Students will use legal theory to reflect on Australian constitutional and private law, and so build on their existing doctrinal knowledge to further develop their critical reading and writing skills in relation to significant contemporary problems.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Sydney Law School
| Study level | Undergraduate |
|---|---|
| Academic unit | Law |
| Credit points | 6 |
|
Prerequisites:
?
|
None |
|---|---|
|
Corequisites:
?
|
None |
| Prohibitions:
?
|
None |
| Assumed knowledge:
?
|
None |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. Analyse and synthesise theories of the state and legal philosophy.
- LO2. Evaluate and apply critiques of the modern capitalist state to the Australian constitution.
- LO3. Evaluate and apply different theorists of law and the state, and so further develop critical reading and writing skills to interpret and transmit knowledge in an essay format.
- LO4. Critically reflect in groups on the readings through class discussion exercises.
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Semester 2 2025
|
Normal day | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
|
There are no availabilities for previous years.
Find your current year census dates
Modes of attendance (MoA)
This refers to the Mode of attendance (MoA) for the unit as it appears when you’re selecting your units in Sydney Student. Find more information about modes of attendance on our website.
