Availabilities:
2020 unit offering information will be available in September 2019
Unit aim
Examines the principles of human rights from international, Australian, comparative and theoretical perspectives. Discusses the international human rights regime, the method by which human rights are protected and the question of whether Australia should have its own Constitutional or legislative Bill of Rights. Will analyse the common theoretical critiques of human rights and will study some selected human rights issues.
Unit content
Part 1 – Introduction to the international human rights system
Topic 1 Introduction to human rights
Topic 2 The international human rights legal system – an overview
Topic 3 State obligations under international human rights law
Topic 4 Critiques of human rights – Critical Legal Studies, Feminism, and Critical Race Studies
Part 2 – Human rights in Australia
Topic 5 The findings and outcomes of the National Human Rights Consultation
Topic 6 Express and implied constitutional rights in Australia and the role of the common law
Topic 7 Specific legislative provisions for human rights protection in Australia (anti-discrimination laws)
Part 3 – Specific human rights issues
Topic 8 The right to privacy
Topic 9 Indigenous Australians
Topic 10 Asylum seekers
Learning outcomes
Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.
Learning outcomes and graduate attributes
| On completion of this unit, students should be able to: | GA1 | GA2 | GA3 | GA4 | GA5 | GA6 | GA7 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | recognise the main features of the international human rights legal regime | Knowledge of a discipline | ||||||
| 2 | appraise the express and implied constitutional protection of human rights in Australia, and assess the other forms of protection of human rights in the Australian legal and political system | Knowledge of a discipline | ||||||
| 3 | identify and analyse the arguments for and against whether Australia should have a constitutional or a legislative Bill of Rights | Intellectual rigour | ||||||
| 4 | describe and critically assess the common criticisms of human rights by critical legal advocates, feminists and others | Creativity | Knowledge of a discipline | Lifelong learning | ||||
| 5 | give an account of and discuss various topical human rights issues. | Intellectual rigour | Creativity | Ethical practice | Knowledge of a discipline | Cultural competence | ||
| 6 | demonstrate their skills in legal research, critical analysis and the written presentation of research and argument. | Intellectual rigour | Creativity | Lifelong learning | ||||
Prescribed texts
Session 1
- Gerber, P & Castan, M (eds), 2012, Contemporary Perspectives on Human Rights Law in Australia, Thomson Reuters. ISBN: 9780455229973.
Teaching and assessment
Online
| Teaching method |
| Workshop online 2 hours (Weekly) |
| Structured online learning 1 hour (Weekly) |
| Assessment | |
| Essay | 60% |
| Reflective writing | 10% |
| Blog | 15% |
| Blog | 15% |
Fee information
Domestic
Commonwealth Supported courses
For information regarding Student Contribution Amounts please visit the Student Contribution Amounts.
Commencing 2020 Commonwealth Supported only. Student contribution band: 1
Fee paying courses
For POSTGRADUATE or UNDERGRADUATE full fee paying courses please check Domestic Postgraduate Fees OR Domestic Undergraduate Fees
International
Please check the international course and fee list to determine the relevant fees.