| Interim Trimester 3, 2023 Online | |
| Units : | 1 |
| School or Department : | School of Law and Justice |
| Grading basis : | Graded |
| Course fee schedule : | /current-students/administration/fees/fee-schedules |
Staffing
Course Coordinator:
Requisites
Pre-requisite: LAW5111 and (LAW5124 or LAW5126)
Enrolment is not permitted in LAW6484 if LAW3484 has been previously completed
Overview
This course will examine the legal issues applicable to both the print and digital media in Australia. A key component of the course is an understanding of the law of defamation: what is defamation; who can be defamed; defamation and social media and truth and other defences available. This course will also examine whether there is a right to freedom of speech and the legal and ethical issues surrounding censorship and restrictions imposed on publications and `hate speech'. Consideration will be given to the right to privacy and restrictions on reporting court proceedings and other suppression orders that might be issued, such as those based on national security laws. Intellectual property issues, such as the law of copyright will be addressed. A comparative analysis with current and developing media law issues in other jurisdictions will identify trends and law reform areas that might impact on the regulation of the Australian media.
Course learning outcomes
On successful completion of this course, students should be able to demonstrate:
- Demonstrate [explain and apply] an advanced and integrated understanding of a complex body of knowledge relevant to media law, and underlying principles and concepts; and the broader contexts within which legal issues arise [in this area] (PO1/TLO1).
- Demonstrate an advanced and integrated understanding of approaches to ethical decision making and an ability to recognize and reflect upon (and a developing ability to respond to) ethical issues likely to arise in professional contexts, an ability to recognize and reflect upon the professional responsibilities of lawyers in promoting justice and in service to the community, and a developing ability to exercise professional judgement. [PLO2/ TLO2).
- Identify and articulate complex legal issues [relevant to media law]; [comprehend legal and other materials]; apply legal reasoning and research to generate appropriate responses to legal issues; and engage in critical analysis and make a reasoned choice amongst alternatives (PO3/TLO3).
- Demonstrate the intellectual and practical skills needed to justify and interpret theoretical propositions, legal methodologies, conclusions and professional decisions relating to media law as well as to identify, research, evaluate and synthesise relevant factual, legal and policy issues [relevant to media law] (PO4/TLO4).
- Communicate in ways that are effective, appropriate and persuasive for legal and non-legal audiences (PO5/TLO5
Topics
| Description | Weighting(%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Introduction to Media Law; Social Media; Ethical issues | 5.00 |
| 2. | Freedom of speech | 5.00 |
| 3. | Classification, censorship and offensive publications | 10.00 |
| 4. | Defamation | 30.00 |
| 5. | Privacy | 10.00 |
| 6. | Open justice, suppression orders, contempt of court | 10.00 |
| 7. | National security laws: interception, surveillance | 10.00 |
| 8. | Copyright | 5.00 |
| 9. | Jurisdiction and choice of law | 5.00 |
| 10. | Comparative analysis 鈥� US and UK | 10.00 |
Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed
Student workload expectations
To do well in this subject, students are expected to commit approximately 10 hours per week including class contact hours, independent study, and all assessment tasks. If you are undertaking additional activities, which may include placements and residential schools, the weekly workload hours may vary.
Assessment details
| Description | Group Assessment |
Weighting (%) | Course learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Problem Solving 1 | No | 50 | 1,2,3,4,5 |
| Problem Solving 2 | No | 50 | 1,2,3,4,5 |