Byron Bay Law Summer School serves up topics of interest

Now in its 12th year, the Southern Cross University Summer Law School at Byron Bay is again offering a range of challenging and interesting law units.

The School of Law and Justice Summer School, which runs from December 12, 2009 to January 7, 2010, attracts students from across Australia and overseas.

On offer are a range of niche and non-mainstream subjects delivered by School of Law and Justice lecturers and a variety of distinguished Australian and international guest presenters.

This year’s high-profile guest presenters include Southern Cross University Chancellor, the Hon John Dowd AO QC, recently retired High Court Justice and inaugural Distinguished Visiting Professor the Hon Michael Kirby AC CMG, and Federal Member for Paige, the Hon Janelle Saffin.

They will be special guest teachers in the popular Human Rights unit of study.

The Human Rights unit examines the principles of human rights from international, Australian, comparative and theoretical perspectives.

It will discuss the international human rights regime, and the method by which human rights are protected in Australia, leading to the question of whether Australia should have its own constitutional or legislative Bill of Rights. This unit will have a special emphasis on human rights in Asia.

Advanced Advocacy is a unit specifically aimed at those students who will, in their practice, anticipate involvement in appearing in courts as an advocate. While some solicitors may not appear in court, the skills of persuasion by written and oral argument in court are useful in many other legal contexts. This unit will be taught with an emphasis on the acquisition and practice of courtroom skills up to District Court level.

Two units are being taught in collaboration with Chapman Law School in the USA. The first unit is the Holocaust, Genocide and the Law – a unit which examines the Holocaust in its legal context by analysing topics including the legal system of Nazi Germany; the legal responses to the horrors of the Holocaust; contemporary issues such as Holocaust denial, the Holocaust and the Internet, and Holocaust restitution; and the current legal legacy of the Holocaust exemplified in the ongoing trials of the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda and the forthcoming International Criminal Court.

The second unit is International Trade and Development Law, which addresses the evolution of legal regimes in international trade and development.

It will examine the basic legal structure of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), including the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and other agreements, and will consider the development of regional trade agreements, including the European Union (EU) and North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Students will consider dispute settlement mechanisms under these regimes.

Those interested in studying law at Southern Cross University can contact the School of Law and Justice to find out more about courses being offered and upcoming events.

Photo: Byron Bay provides the perfect backdrop for the annual Southern Cross University Summer Law School.