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Unit of study_
LAWS5215: Citizenship and Nationality Law
2025 unit information
In Australia citizenship status has recently been central to decisions on whether indigenous Australians are vulnerable to deportation, expanded powers of citizenship deprivation, debate on Covid-19 restrictions on international mobility, and proposed changes to naturalization requirements. The legal status of citizenship combines what is often a strong emotive charge, stemming from its relationship to membership, allegiance and belonging, with a highly technical legal role in multiple fields of law. The course analyses the workings of citizenship status within diverse fields of law, both municipal (constitutional and administrative) and international (public and private). Study of the status also serves as a study of the interaction between these fields. We will study the history of Australian citizenship; membership under the Australian Constitution; international law relating to nationality; the interaction between national citizenship regimes; developments and proposals affecting rights integral to citizenship; and issues surrounding access to citizenship for long-term residents, among other topics. These issues will be, in part, explored through contemporary and historic case studies and controversies. The unit will analyse a wide range of sources, including writings in the history and sociology of law as well as judgments, court filings, and government and parliamentary reports. All the topics raise the vexed relationship between citizenship as a formal status ascribed by states, and its role in alternately enabling, registering, or denying, belonging.
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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LAWS5005 and LAWS5007 |
|---|---|
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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LAWS3515 |
| Assumed knowledge:
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None |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of citizenship and nationality law through a detailed examination of selected topics.
- LO2. Demonstrate a familiarity with the concepts and ‘language’ attending citizenship and nationality in the relevant fields of law: domestic administrative and constitutional law, and public and private international law
- LO3. Demonstrate an understanding of the multiple functions of the legal status through analysis of different aspects of citizenship and nationality
- LO4. Demonstrate understanding of the interaction between different fields of law, both domestic and international, through analysis of different aspects of citizenship and nationality
- LO5. Analyse and contribute to normative debates about the divergent values and functions of citizenship.
- LO6. Demonstrate the ability to research a chosen topic in citizenship and nationality law with rigour
- LO7. Demonstrate the ability to make a disciplined argument on an issue in citizenship and nationality law
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.
There are no availabilities for this year.
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
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Semester 2a 2025
|
Normal day | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
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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.
