WACE ATAR Politics and Law case studies
WACE ATAR Politics and Law · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The WACE ATAR Politics and Law course is a Western Australian senior-secondary subject examined by the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA) and used in ATAR calculations for university entrance. It suits students who want to understand how Australian political and legal systems actually work: Parliament and the executive, the High Court and the court hierarchy, the Constitution and federalism, voting and representation, and how law and policy change. The WACE ATAR Politics and Law case studies are 5 cases and about 2,600 words.
1The Crossbench That Holds the Balance
A state lower house has 59 seats. After an election the major parties hold 26 (Party A) and 24 (Party B).
517 words, about 3 min2A Referendum That Fails on the Double Majority
A proposal to amend the Commonwealth Constitution to recognise local government in a new section is put to a referendum. National results: 54% Yes, 46% No.
518 words, about 3 min3Standing, Jurisdiction and the Remedial Gap
A Commonwealth agency operates a scheme under which applicants for a benefit must consent to the agency sharing their data with private contractors. A welfare recipient, M, is refused a benefit after declining consent.
515 words, about 3 min4Precedent, Distinguishing and the Duty of Care
A State Supreme Court (Court of Appeal) decided in 2019, in Case A, that a local council owed no duty of care to a resident who tripped on an uneven footpath, because the council's inspection regime was reasonable and policy considerations about resource allocation told against a duty. In 2023 the High Court decided Case B, holding that a statutory authority exercising a power to maintain infrastructure can owe a duty where it has actually created or increased a risk.
550 words, about 3 min5A Ministerial Direction and the Limits of Accountability
A Commonwealth statute gives a regulator power to issue licences for a controlled activity and provides that the regulator 'must have regard to' environmental impacts and 'may have regard to' any other matter the regulator considers relevant. A minister issues a direction to the regulator stating that, when deciding licence applications, it must give priority to economic development and must not impose conditions that reduce projected output.
500 words, about 3 min