Week 1- Introduction to Law and
Justice

Assessments
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Competency Test 1
Research Proposal
Research Report
Competency Test 2

Getting to know you!
Write a paragraph about yourself. In that paragraph, you may wish to include:
1. Your background
2. What you hope to achieve from the course
3. Where you see yourself in 5 years

Setting the rules
In groups of 5, you need to come up with the rules of the classroom. Those rules must address: 1. Classroom etiquette including how to treat each other
2. The consequences for breaking those rules.

Where did out laws come from?
• 1788- Governor Phillip declared our lands to be part of England and therefore, the laws of
England were now the laws of this land.
• Terra Nullius – means no man’s land.

Doctrine of Reception
Definition
In common law, the doctrine of reception (properly, reception of the common law of England in a colony) refers to the process in which the English law becomes applicable to a British Crown Colony, protectorate, or protected state.

Significant dates in our history
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1788 to 1823
1859
1901
1922
1942
1986

Australian Constitution Act
In the Constitution, you will find mechanisms designed to protect the interests of the states, the interests of their citizens, and a clear statement of the limited areas of legislative authority of the federal government. One major aspect of the Constitution is the division of powers between state and federal governments. Division of Powers
• Exclusive- Powers that can only be exercised by the Commonwealth Government.
• Concurrent- Powers that can be exercised by both State and Commonwealth Governments.
• Residual- Powers that reside with the State
Governments.

Activity
Choose a two-hour period of your day in which you are relatively busy.
• List the activities you undertook during those two hours.
• List the laws that you had to comply with.
• List the origin of those laws, state (local government should be listed as state) or federal.
• Categorise the powers used into exclusive, residual or concurrent. Westminster system of government
• Has three independent arms of government operating together. This minimises the potential for any one arm of government abusing their power.

This is called the Separation of Powers

Separation of Powers
• Legislature- Makes the Laws
• Executive – Enforces the laws
• Judiciary – Interprets and applies the laws
Lord Acton’s famous statement before the House of Lords in 1887 illustrates the logic behind this separation: “power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely”.

Law-making in Queensland and Australia
• There are two types of laws in QLD
• Statute - Legislation
• Common Law (Judge Made law)

Making Legislation
1. Notice of intention to introduce a
Bill
4. Committee Stage

5. Third Reading

2. First Reading

3. Second
Reading

6. Royal