NSW HSC Legal Studies study guide
NSW HSC Legal Studies · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
Legal Studies is a Board Developed Course in the NSW Higher Education Standards Authority school curriculum, examined in the HSC. The current syllabus is the Legal Studies Stage 6 Syllabus (2009), offered as 11220 Legal Studies (2 units – Preliminary) and 15220 Legal Studies (2 units – HSC), with no prerequisites, corequisites or eligibility requirements and study via self-tuition permitted. The NSW HSC Legal Studies study guide has 4 sections and about 1,522 words.
01Core Part I: Crime - Themes, Defences and the Sentencing Calculus
The crime topic rewards candidates who can move between elements of the offence , the criminal process , and the effectiveness of the law . The syllabus themes - the criminal justice system balancing the rights of victims, offenders and society; the role of discretion; and law reform responding to changing values - should thread through every extended response.
411 words, about 2 min02Core Part II: Human Rights - Sources, Protection and the Effectiveness Debate
Candidates must distinguish universal, inalienable, indivisible and inherent characteristics of human rights, and separate moral/ethical rights from legal rights . Know the categories: civil and political rights (ICCPR), economic, social and cultural rights (ICESCR), and collective rights (e.g., Indigenous rights under UNDRIP).
358 words, about 2 min03Option A: Consumers - Contract, Statutory Guarantees and Redress
This option examines the relationship between consumers, business and government. Know the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) , contained in Schedule 2 of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) and applied nationally through state fair trading laws.
363 words, about 2 min04Option B: Family - Dissolution, Property and the Best Interests Principle
Family law sits under the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth), with the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia exercising jurisdiction. Candidates must understand marriage (Marriage Act 1961 (Cth)), de facto relationships (recognised under the Family Law Act for property and, in most states, parenting), divorce (the no-fault ground of irretrievable breakdown evidenced by 12 months' separation), and nullity .
390 words, about 2 min