VCE Legal Studies case studies
VCE Legal Studies · Put your knowledge to work in context.
VCE Legal Studies is a Victorian Certificate of Education study accredited for the period from 2024, with Units 1 to 4 setting out areas of study, outcomes and assessment for students in Victoria. It suits senior secondary students who want to understand how law is made, how disputes are resolved and how the Australian legal system operates, and it is commonly taken as a sequence across Units 3 and 4 for those seeking a study score. The study design published by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority is the authoritative statement of content; the examination specifications, currently Version 2 dated March 2025, describe how the external examination is structured, and sample questions are available in Version 3 dated May 2024. Preparation should begin with the accredited study design, then move to the examination specifications so you know the command terms and expected responses, and finally to recent examinations and their external assessment reports for 2024 and 2025. The VCE Legal Studies case studies are 5 cases and about 2,337 words.
1The Injunction That Arrived Too Late
A local council approved a 24-hour freight depot beside a residential estate. Residents learned of the permit only after construction began.
470 words, about 2 min2Precedent in the County Court
A County Court judge must decide whether a shopping centre owes a duty of care to a cleaner injured by a collapsing shelf. Two authorities exist.
485 words, about 2 min3The Minister's Direction and the Statutory Power
A state Minister for Transport is empowered under the Transport Act to 'make guidelines for the safe operation of rideshare services'. The Minister issues a direction requiring all rideshare drivers to install a specific camera model costing $400, and stating that drivers who fail to comply will lose their licence.
467 words, about 2 min4Jury Directions and Unanimity
In a County Court criminal trial for aggravated burglary, the jury retires with 12 members. After four hours, the foreperson reports 10 jurors favouring guilty and 2 favouring not guilty.
469 words, about 2 min5Remedies for Negligence in a School Injury
A 14-year-old student is injured during a school-organised obstacle course. The school had inspected the course that morning but failed to notice a loose rope anchor.
446 words, about 2 min