Overview 2021
This course may not be available to international students. Please see the International Online Course Guide (PDF 809KB) for courses that are offered to international students
View archived years for this course
For years prior to 2015, please view the Course and Unit Handbook Archive
View the current year's course page
Course objectives
The Bachelor of Laws course is the basic academic preparation for persons who wish to enter the legal profession and other careers involving legal work. The course also has wider applicability in developing the attributes and skills inherent in a general university education. Students develop the values and intellectual abilities necessary to marshal facts and to critically assess and evaluate information, theories and doctrines thus preparing themselves for a variety of career roles.
A degree in law is the first step towards entering the legal profession. After graduating from the University, a law student wishing to practice in Tasmania is required to undertake a 6 month Legal Practice course.
Career outcomes
A law degree is a prerequisite to admission as a legal practitioner. Today, however, employers from a widening range of disciplines value the skills that law graduates possess. A range of career choices lie open to law graduates as a solicitor, barrister, industry legal officer or ministerial adviser, as well as in legal aid, community legal centres, the Attorney-General's department, law reform commissions, consumer affairs, environment, foreign affairs, police, legal drafting, politics, banking, finance, journalism, publishing and teaching.
Professional Recognition
The Law degree meets the requirements of the accrediting body, the Tasmanian Board of Legal Education. After graduating from the University, a law student wishing to practise in Tasmania is required to undertake a 6 month Legal Practice course. Under the mutual recognition scheme, after gaining admission and obtaining a practising certificate in Tasmania lawyers can practise in another state of Australia without having to obtain a practising certificate in the latter jurisdiction.International students should address such enquiries to the relevant authority in their home country.
Course structure
This course is for students commencing from Bachelor of Laws degree in 2015. Students who enrolled in the Bachelor of Laws degree before 2013 should refer to course 63A. Students who enrolled in the Bachelor of Laws degree in 2013 or 2014 should refer to course 63I.
Year 2
Semester 1
This unit introduces students to the reasoning techniques used by judges and lawyers to deal with problems governed by statute and common law, taught how to replicate some of these techniques to solve legal problems and encouraged to consider why…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
This unit develops an understanding of the broader law of private obligations by introducing students to its historical foundations and basic doctrinal elements, including aspects of contract, equity, tort, and property. The unit begins by examining what is private law,…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
The unit introduces students to the study of public law within the sub-disciplines of constitutional and administrative law. Public law is also the foundation of a range of other disciplines of law including: criminal, human rights, environmental, international, immigration, taxation,…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
International law permeates most areas of Australian law and it is therefore essential for law graduates to have a solid grounding in the sources and methodology of international law. This unit aims to facilitate students' development of an understanding of…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
Semester 2
The unit develops an understanding of the Law of Contract and the enforceability of contractual obligations in the contemporary contexts of Australian and international commercial relations. The unit also considers the development and continuing evolution of the Law of Contract.…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
Builds on preliminary examination of the law of private obligations introduced in LAW252 Foundations of Private Law by targeting the law of torts. The unit provides students with a comprehensive survey of the principal causes of action in the law…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
Provides a critical overview of the general principles of administrative law as they operate in areas such as judicial review, merits review, Ombudsman and Freedom of Information. Topics that may be covered, at a general level, in the course include…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
The Constitution is the fundamental law of our society and the fountainhead of all other powers, duties and responsibilities in our legal system. Given its status and importance, the Constitution is often at the centre of many high profile public…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
Year 3
Semester 1
Today, the richest 1% of adults will own more than 50% of global wealth. Indeed the 85 richest individuals will have more wealth than the poorest 50% of the world's population. But does property law facilitate this and encourage this…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
Criminal law is a necessary cornerstone of a law student's legal education because there are few areas of law that do not incorporate criminal offences as one of the arms of regulation of conduct. Criminal Law A provides an introduction…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
LAW353 focuses on the most developed area of equity's jurisdiction, the law pertaining to trusts. It covers the following topics: the nature of a trust, and how it compares to other legal relationships; the essentials for the creation of an…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
Choose one elective unit from the list below
Semester 2
This unit builds on Criminal Law A. It continues the study of general principles of the criminal law. The following crimes are studied in some depth: homicide, drug offences, serious driving offences and property offences. As with Criminal Law A,…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
View all details for LAW352 Criminal Law B and Criminal Procedure
The corporation has huge economic and legal significance. Given this significance, an understanding of the role of the corporation in society and its relationship to the community, shareholders, creditors, the regulator, and other stakeholders is critical. This unit outlines the…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
Choose two elective units from the list below
Year 4
Semester 1
This course imparts a basic knowledge of the doctrine, principles and rules relating to the law of evidence in both criminal and civil proceedings. It focuses primarily upon fostering students ability to identify, explain, apply and critique relevant rules of…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
LAW452 focuses upon the main areas of professional responsibility of lawyers:to clients;to the court / administration of justice; andto the profession and community.It commences with a discussion of ethics and professionalism, before moving onto the character (and other) requirements for…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
Introduces students to moral debates about what the content of the law ought to be and to some of the major theories of law, such as Natural Law, Positivism and Realism and some of the most influential modern theories, including…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
Choose one elective unit from the list below
Semester 2
This Unit will examine how civil litigation is commenced, managed and finalised. The primary content focus will be the rules and practices of civil procedure in the Supreme Court of Tasmania and the Federal Court of Australia. The international context…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
The question of what remedy permeates all areas of law: contract, property, company law, insolvency law, tax law, etc. This unit provides students with an integrated understanding of the role of remedies in the law though exposure to the differing…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
Students are required to participate in a moot in the final year of their degree. Moots are held in both first and second semesters and require attendance at the Supreme Court of Tasmania, at least two lectures and meetings with…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 - other | ||||
| Hobart | Semester 2 - other | ||||
Choose two elective units from the list below
Choose 6 electives units from the following list:
This unit introduces individual and collective aspects of the employment relationship with a focus on the balance of rights and duties between an employer and employee. In particular, students will be encouraged to explore the extent to which an appropriate…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
Inquires into the theoretical and practical aspects of governmental intervention of commerce. The particular emphasis is on the regulation of anti-competitive behaviour as determined by Part IV of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Clth). The lectures touch upon the…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
Considers the public international law aspects of the law of the sea and the Antarctic continent. The unit examines the Antarctic Treaty, Madrid Protocol, Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, Australia's maritime zones of jurisdiction and international…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
View all details for LAW606 Law of the Oceans and the Antarctic
Areas of Law not covered in LAW305 Corporations Law 1 are analysed in this unit - with particular emphasis on those aspects related to the larger public corporation. This includes an examination of the structure and market for corporate control…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
This unit examines controversial and topical issues in contemporary public international law including --the role of international politics and international relations in the process of international law, the impact of the United Nations Organisation, current trends in regionalism, the development…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
Explores in greater depth the principles examined in LAW204 and considers important aspects of review of administrative action not covered in that unit. Alternative extrajudicial review systems, including Ombudsmen, independent appeal tribunals and internal review systems are examined as well…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
The focus in this course will be on the international law and policy relating to the environment. The course aims to provide an understanding of key concepts in this area of international law through case studies in substantive areas as…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
This unit will focus on the main features and institutions of legal systems. The content will take a historic and comparative approach to the main legal systems, namely, the common law and civil law systems, focusing more primarily on the…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
Designed to provide law students and science students with an overview of the major legal issues being encountered by participants in the biotechnology industry in both the public and the private sector, including scientists, lawyers, company executives, clinicians, regulators and…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
This unit engages students in a detailed study of Indigenous people's experience with the legal system in Australia and selected other jurisdictions, and the interactions between non-Indigenous and Indigenous legal systems. With regard to both the historical and contemporary setting,…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
This unit introduces students to the history of ideas, political events and personalities that have shaped legal institutions, laws and lawyers and prompted critical examinations of their role within society. Students are encouraged to consider Tasmania's unique position and history…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
This course will explore the underpinnings of property law and the divergent cultural, social and political views related to the acquisition of property by discovery, capture and creation that are drawn into the efforts to answer the basic question, "What…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
International Law purports to regulate military force in two key ways. The first we refer to as the jus ad bellum - the legal regulation of the circumstances in which resort to military force is justified. The heated public debate…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
This unit involves the development of advanced writing, editing and administrative skills in the production of a high quality peer reviewed Law Journal - the University of Tasmania Law Review (UTLR) or Journal of Information & Science (JLIS). Students will…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
The inexorable connection between Australian society and sport is undeniable. This unit examines how legal principles are modified or applied in a way that is often innovative and unusual when placed in a sporting context. Not only will the underlying…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
This unit introduces students to the laws and conventions that regulate the parliamentary process. It will cover a range of topics including the processes undertaken to introduce legislation, the positives and negatives of the current electoral system and elections, parliamentary…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
This unit provides a theoretical and practical framework to enable an understanding and application of the skills of advocacy. It provides law students with the opportunity to develop a broad range of skills towards all aspects of effective advocacy as…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
This unit explores the law's role in governing the relationship between humans and non-human animals in Australia. Students will have the opportunity to discuss the broader philosophical debates surrounding animal welfare issues, including consideration of the appropriate legal status of…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
Recently, there has been an increase in holding individuals accountable for atrocities like genocide and war crimes. This unit examines the laws governing trial processes at the International Criminal Court and the United Nations Tribunals for the Former Yugoslavia and…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
View all details for LAW630 International Criminal Procedure
Examines the theory of human rights and their development in international law and application to Australian domestic law. A consideration is made of the basic principles, instruments and issues in international human rights law. A study is conducted of United…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
Covers the following topics: (a) Origins and framework of the EU: Treaty of Rome. Merger of early Communities/EU Institutions (Court, Council, Commission, Parliament); (b) EU Law making: by treaty, regulation, directive, decision, incorporation into member states' legal systems (Doctrine of…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
This unit is directed towards the preparation of a University team to participate in the Philip C Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition. Participation is limited to between 3 and 5 students and is by application and a competitive selection…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Summer school | ||||
This unit introduces law students to criminology. It examines why the discipline of criminology is relevant to many dimensions of law, and, conversely, why the law is relevant to criminology. Particular themes and issues that this unit considers are researching…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
This course explores the legal and policy context in which some of Australia's most challenging environmental controversies arise. It introduces students to the framework for national and international environmental regulation using a range of topical issues and case studies. In…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
View all details for LAW639 Current Issues in Environmental Law and Policy
This unit introduces law students to a variety of non-judicial dispute resolution processes.This unit introduces students to the theories, principles, practices and laws relating to dispute resolution. It covers a variety of dispute resolution methods including negotiation, mediation, conciliation and…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
This foundational environmental law unit provides the core of UTAS's environmental law program. The unit caters both to students seeking a concise introduction to the subject-matter, as part of a well-rounded legal education for professional practice, as well as students…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and the Law is an interdisciplinary, seminar-style unit that examines theoretical concepts, legal principles and doctrines, and case studies relating to corporate environmental and social behaviour. The unit aims to have students critique the values and…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
View all details for LAW642 Corporate Social Responsibility and the Law
Community Legal Practice is an experiential unit that provides students with the opportunity to work under supervision to take on the responsibilities of a lawyer representing clients with legal questions or problems.Students develop practical legal skills through regular supervised work…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
Arbitration has become the dispute resolution forum of choice in international commerce and trade, often lauded as more efficient and effective than cross-border litigation. In recent years however, studies have increasingly put such assumptions to the test, with mixed results.…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
This unit is directed towards the preparation of university teams to participate in inter-varsity mooting competitions including the Sir Harry Gibbs Constitutional Law Moot, the Castan Centre Human Rights Moot, the Baker & McKenzie Women’s moot, the Kirby Contract moot,…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
Investigates the common law and statutory controls over the broadcasting, print and online media in Australia. The unit examines legal and economic aspects of the regulatory regimes which apply to the media, including issues of licensing, ownership and control. Legal…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
This subject examines the major legal and policy issues relating to Australian citizenship and migration law. The subject begins with an historical background to immigration in Australia and an overview of the legislative framework. The subject will identify the role…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
View all details for LAW655 Australian Citizenship and Immigration Law
Climate change poses enormous challenges for Australia and the international community. The level of warming already in the climate system means that law and policymakers must deal with dual policy imperatives – to manage the now-unavoidable impacts of climate change,…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
Sex Crimes and Criminals is an applied, interdisciplinary unit taught by criminal lawyers, psychologists and criminologists. It examines the nature and prevalence of sex crimes, impacts upon survivors ('victims') and the profiles of sex offenders.The unit explores key challenges facing…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
Water law is somewhat unusual among areas of natural resources law because the law governing ownership, allocation, and use of water differs tremendously depending on the natural hydrological conditions of particular places. This course will explore how place and hydrology,…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
Involves the study of the taxation of income under the Income Tax Assessment Acts. The unit provides an understanding of the assessment of income tax adequate for those not planning on specialising in income tax practice. The unit is divided…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
This unit will deal with international trade law developed by the World Trade Organisation (WTO), including case studies involving the trade and environment interface and trade-human rights issues as well as the dispute settlement system.…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
Provides an overview of the major forms of intellectual property protection. The unit covers the statutory systems of copyright, trade marks and patents as well as related areas including passing off and the protection provided by Australian Consumer Law.…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
Recognises the development of consumer protection law as a discrete area of study and practice, largely as a consequence of statutory initiatives. The unit specifically focuses on the Australian Consumer Law with some reference to consumer protection in respect of…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
Provides an overview of the legal issues arising in the online environment. The unit covers internet crime and other crimes facilitated by the internet, offensive content, electronic commerce, including privacy, consumer protection, and establishing contracts over the internet, jurisdiction and…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
Since the establishment by the UN Security Council of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in 1993, the pace of development in the International Criminal Law has been breathtaking. The new international institutions - the two adhoc international…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
The aim of this unit is to explore some key issues of principle in criminal justice, examining aspects of the criminal law and wider developments in criminal justice. Three clusters will provide the focus of the unit. The first cluster…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
Allows students to undertake a sustained piece of research under the supervision of a member of staff. There are no classes as such; teaching takes place through the interaction between the student and staff member. Students select their own research…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
Examines sources of family law, legal recognition of family relationships, legal obligations between family members, processes for responding to family law issues, the family law courts, principles applying to parenting and financial matters, the socio-economic context, and law reform.…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
Gives a general coverage of the law relating to succession to property on death. Topics include: the law relating to intestacy; the execution, revocation, alteration and republication of wills; the legal and equitable doctrines relating to testamentary gifts; the powers,…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
Conflicts, also known as Private International Law, looks at the unique legal problems that arise when a court must decide a case which involves an element of foreign law. The foreign element may arise either out of a connection with…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
View all details for LAW684 Conflicts (Private International Law)
Seeks (a) an understanding of the law relating to sentencing of offenders and the range, nature and efficacy of sentencing options; and (b) to evaluate critically sentencing law and policy. The unit studies the law and practice governing the sentencing…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
In the last twenty years many regimes have changed. The first important wave of this phenomenon occurred in Eastern Europe in 1989. Beyond Europe, similar developments have occurred in States such as East Timor, Abkhazia South Ossetia and, most recently,…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
This unit examines the relationship of law and ethics to the delivery of health care and the conduct of biomedical research. The unit takes an international comparative approach with particular reference to law, policy and current issues in Australia, the…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
Need help choosing your first year units? Try the Unit Selection Guide.
Entry requirements
Eligibility
We encourage you to apply for the courses you most want to study. If you’re not eligible to enter your chosen course right now, the UTAS admissions team will work with you to find the best pathway option.
Enquire online for advice on the application process and the available pathways to study at UTAS.
DOMESTIC APPLICANTS
Domestic applicants with higher education study
To be eligible for an offer, you must have completed an Australian Bachelor degree (or equivalent) or higher qualification with a minimum grade point average of 4.0 on a seven-point scale. You can enquire online for advice on converting your results into grade point average on a seven-point scale.
All other domestic applicants
This is a graduate entry course. Students are only admitted on the basis of completed higher education study. Students from other educational backgrounds may consider the Bachelor of Laws (Direct Entry), course code 63P1.
INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS
Admissions information for international applicants, including English language requirements, is available from the International Future Students site. You can also enquire online to check your eligibility.
Applicants who have completed the Diploma in Law and Management at Temasek Polytechnic, Singapore with a GPA of 3.0 or higher on a four-point scale meet the entry requirements for this course.
Entry Requirements
Credit transfer
Students who have completed units of similar weight and standing as part of a Bachelor of Laws degree course at another tertiary institution may be given credit in units of the Bachelor of Laws degree, subject to the limits prescribed by the Faculty and University Academic Senate Rules.
Detailed Admissions Information
Detailed admissions information and advice for all undergraduate courses, including comprehensive, course-level student profiles, is available from UTAS Admissions.
Fees & scholarships
Domestic students
Domestic students enrolled in a full fee paying place are charged the Student Services and Amenities Fee but this fee is incorporated in the fees you pay for each unit you enrol in. Full fee paying domestic students do not have to make any additional SSAF payments.
Detailed tuition fee information for domestic students is available at the Domestic Student Fees website, including additional information in relation to a compulsory Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF).
International students
2021 Total Course Fee (international students): $103,672 AUD*.
Course cost based on a rate of $31,950 AUD per standard, full-time year of study (100 credit points).
* Please note that this is an indicative fee only.
International students
International students are charged the Student Services and Amenities Fee but this fee is incorporated in the annual rate. International students do not have to make any additional SSAF payments.
Scholarships
For information on general scholarships available at the University of Tasmania, please visit the scholarships website.
How can we help?
Do you have any questions about choosing a course or applying? Get in touch.
- Domestic
- 1300 363 864
- International
- +61 3 6226 6200
- Course.Info@utas.edu.au
- Online
- Online enquiries