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Unit of study_

LAWS5002: Contracts

2025 unit information

Contract law provides the legal background for transactions involving the supply of goods and services and is, arguably the most significant means by which the ownership of property is transferred from one person to another. It vitally affects all members of the community and a thorough knowledge of contract law is essential to all practising lawyers. In the context of the law curriculum as a whole, Contracts provides background which is assumed knowledge in many other units. The aims of the course are composite in nature. The course examines the rules that regulate the creation, terms, performance, breach and discharge of a contract. Remedies and factors that may vitiate a contract such as misrepresentation are dealt with in Torts and Contracts II. The central aim of the course is to provide an understanding of the basic principles of contract law and how those principles are applied in practice to solve problems. Students will develop the skills of rules based reasoning and case law analysis. A second aim is to provide students an opportunity to critically evaluate and make normative judgments about the operation of the law. Successful completion of this unit of study is a prerequisite to the elective unit Advanced Contracts.

Unit details and rules

Managing faculty or University school:

Sydney Law School

Study level Postgraduate
Academic unit Law
Credit points 6
Prerequisites:
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None
Corequisites:
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None
Prohibitions:
? 
LAWS1015
Assumed knowledge:
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None

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. demonstrate a detailed knowledge of the assigned contract law topics, including the relevant case law, statutes, and secondary sources
  • LO2. appreciate the contexts within which lawyers use contract law and the kinds of problems they may encounter
  • LO3. actively engage with the relevant legal material
  • LO4. apply your knowledge of the material in the resolution of contract problems and in planning contractual relationships
  • LO5. think critically about the doctrines that govern contract law, their normative underpinnings and their contemporary relevance
  • LO6. construct legal arguments based on the studied materials and legal research to be able to influence the conduct of negotiations, as well as dispute resolution proceedings based on contract law
  • LO7. communicate your knowledge, problem-solving, and critical argumentation skills in written and oral form

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 1 2024
Normal day Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Semester 1 2024
Normal evening Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Session MoA ?  Location Outline ? 
Semester 1 2025
Normal day Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Outline unavailable
Semester 1 2025
Normal evening Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Outline unavailable
Session MoA ?  Location Outline ? 
Semester 1 2020
Normal day Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Semester 1 2020
Normal evening Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Intensive May - June 2020
Normal day Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Outline unavailable
Intensive May - June 2020
Normal evening Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Outline unavailable
Semester 1 2021
Normal day Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Semester 1 2021
Normal day Remote
Semester 1 2021
Normal evening Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Semester 1 2022
Normal day Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Semester 1 2022
Normal day Remote
Semester 1 2022
Normal evening Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Semester 1 2023
Normal day Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Semester 1 2023
Normal evening Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

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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.