Unit rationale, description and aim
This unit provides students with a foundation in the study of law across different contexts. It encourages critical reflection on how legal systems, principles, and practices develop and operate in diverse environments. By engaging with a range of legal concepts and frameworks, students will develop the ability to analyse, compare, and evaluate legal approaches in a global setting.
The unit is designed to build core skills in legal reasoning, interpretation, and analysis while fostering an appreciation of the social, cultural, political, and economic factors that shape law. Students will be encouraged to think critically about the similarities and differences within and between legal systems, as well as the challenges of applying legal ideas across jurisdictions.
The aim of this unit is to equip students with the conceptual tools and methodological approaches needed to engage with law in a broader comparative, international, and contextual perspective. It prepares students to adapt their understanding of law to varied subject areas and emerging global challenges, supporting both academic progression and professional practice.
Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unit.Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Describe and critically evaluate the law of differ...
Learning Outcome 01
Compare and contrast the approaches of various jur...
Learning Outcome 02
Apply comparative and analytical methods to evalua...
Learning Outcome 03
Content
Topics will include:
1. Historical foundations of comparative law
2. Nature, aims and limits of comparative law
3. The division of global jurisdictions into legal families, with special attention on the Common Law and the Civil Law traditions
4. Comparative analysis of specific areas of law
5. Comparative legal theory
6. Comparative law as a methodology
7. Extra-legal considerations in comparative analysis
Assessment strategy and rationale
The assessment strategy is designed to assess knowledge, skills and understanding of law and legal theory in a global and comparative context.
In order to pass this unit, students must demonstrate achievement of all learning outcomes and obtain an aggregate mark of at least 50%. Each assessment task is marked using a rubric designed to evaluate performance against specific learning outcomes. A final grade is awarded based on overall performance across the unit.
Overview of assessments
Assignment 1: Participation and Engagement Stud...
Assignment 1: Participation and Engagement
Students are required to attend tutorials and actively contribute to discussions and activities, demonstrating their capacity to research, analyse and communicate ideas, arguments and findings through a critical and comparative perspective.
50%
Assignment 2: Critical Analysis Students are req...
Assignment 2: Critical Analysis
Students are required to demonstrate their ability to critically evaluate a topic or legal problem associated with comparative law. This assessment may take the form of a research essay, a letter of advice, a presentation, or another appropriate evaluation
50%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
Mode: Lectures, tutorials, electronic consultation, library tasks and presentations or Online lectures and activities.
Duration: 3 hours per week over 12 weeks or equivalent. Students are expected to spend 150 hours in total for this unit.
This level two elective unit allows students to demonstrate knowledge, skills and understanding of law and legal theory in a global and comparative context.
Our strategy is to encourage students to creatively engage with the unit content using a comparative method.
The unit is designed to be delivered in intensive, weekly or online mode. We have taken a multimodal learning approach to provide accessibility and flexibility to our students and a student-focused approach that increases depth of learning and engagement through actively utilising Canvas.