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Unit of study_

LAWS6915: Current Issues in Defamation Law

2020 unit information

This unit of study seeks to analyse in detail a number of areas in defamation law that have been the subject of current judicial, academic and policy debate and controversy. The topics covered in this unit include an analysis of the concepts of reputation and freedom of expression in Australian defamation law; the role of juries in Australian defamation trials; defamation and the impact of the internet and other technologies; the Polly Peck defence in Australian defamation law; damages and interlocutory injunctions as remedies for defamation; and the effectiveness of, and the scope for further, defamation law reform. It is expected that students who enrol in this unit of study will have studied defamation law at an introductory level as part of their undergraduate or postgraduate degrees or have had practical experience in the area.

Unit details and rules

Managing faculty or University school:

Sydney Law School

Study level Postgraduate
Academic unit Law
Credit points 6
Prerequisites:
? 
None
Corequisites:
? 
None
Prohibitions:
? 
(LAWS3428 and LAWS5128)
Assumed knowledge:
? 
None

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

  • LO1. demonstrate an understanding of the current issues relating to defamation law in Australia
  • LO2. demonstrate advanced skills in critical analysis of legislation, case law and policy documents from Australia and overseas
  • LO3. demonstrate advanced skills in independent legal research on a topic of the student's choosing
  • LO4. demonstrate advanced written communication skills

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 ? 
Intensive October - November 2020
Block mode 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.