Laying Down the Law

Detailed Table of Contents

(References are to paragraph numbers)

PART 1: INTRODUCTION

Chapter 1 — Laying the Foundations
Introduction 1.1
Legal systems 1.2

  • The Western legal tradition 1.3
  • The common law 1.4
  • The civil law 1.5
  • Legal globalisation and convergence 1.6
Sources of law 1.7
Uncertainties and imperfections of law 1.8
Understanding and practising law 1.9
  • Legal ethics 1.10
  • Technical language 1.11
  • Legal research 1.12
  • Categories of law 1.13
Destinations of law graduates 1.14

 

Chapter 2 — An Introduction to Legal History and the Development of the Modern Legal Profession
 Introduction 2.1
The relevance of English legal history to Australia 2.2
The roots of English law 2.3

  • Feudalism 2.4
  • The birth of the common law: the extension of the king’s jurisdiction 2.5
  • Formalisation of legal structures: itinerant justice and the growth of courts 2.6
The writ system 2.7
Trial procedures in the early common law 2.8
Equity 2.9
The foundations of modern constitutionalism 2.11
  • Magna Carta and the first parliaments 2.12
  • The Reformation and Parliament during the
    Tudor dynasty 2.13
  • The English Civil War 2.14
  • The Glorious Revolution and the
    constitutional settlement 2.16
    • Constitutional principles 2.17
  • Rule of law 2.18
  • Separation of powers 2.19
Statutes 2.20
The common law procedural reforms of the 19th century 2.21
The legal profession 2.23
Reform of the legal profession 2.24
Legal scholarship 2.25

 

Chapter 3 — The Common Law System in Australia

    Introduction 3.1
    Transportation 3.2
    The arrival of the common law in Australia 3.3
  • The doctrine of terra nullius 3.4
  • The reception of English law 3.5
    • Creation of an Australian court structure 3.6
  • The New South Wales Act 3.7
    • The evolution of constitutional government in Australia 3.8
    Repugnancy and the Colonial Laws Validity Act 3.10
    The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council 3.11
    The federation movement 3.13

    The Australia Acts and the path to constitutional independence 3.14

  • The Statute of Westminster 1931 3.15
    • EXERCISE 1 Timelines 3.16
    International law 3.17

     

    Chapter 4 — Indigenous Australians and
    the System of Law and Justice
    Introduction 4.1
    Native Title 4.2

  • Mabo and the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) 4.3
  • Wik and the Native Title Amendment Act 1998 (Cth) 4.5
  • The complexity of native title claims 4.6
  • Improving recognition of native title 4.9
  • Future directions for native title 4.12
    • EXERCISE 2 — Native title 4.13
    Indigenous Australians and the Commonwealth Constitution 4.14
  • Race power and the 1967 referendum 4.14
  • Constitutional recognition of the first peoples 4.16
    • Indigenous People and the Criminal Justice System 4.17
  • Jurisdiction over the ‘Aboriginal native’ 4.18
  • Protection regimes 4.19
  • Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody 4.20
  • ‘Crimes of poverty, despair and defiance’ 4.22
  • Indigenous Sentencing Courts 4.24
  • Customary punishment 4.25
    • EXERCISE 3 Sentencing of Indigenous Offenders 4.27
    Northern Territory Intervention 4.28
  • Protection regimes revisited? 4.28
  • Racial discrimination or special measure? 4.30
  • Other constitutional and legal challenges to the Intervention 4.32
    • Indigenous People and Human Rights in Australia 4.35
  • International Instruments and Australian Discrimination Legislation 4.36
  • Express and Implied Constitutional Rights 4.37
    • Human Rights Law in Australia 4.40
  • An entrenched bill of rights for Australia? 4.41
  • A statutory bill of rights: the non-entrenched
    alternative 4.43
    • EXERCISE 4 Bill of Rights and Parliament’s Role 4.46

     

    PART 2: SOURCES OF LAW: CASE LAW

    Chapter 5 — Case Law and Precedent
    Introduction 5.1
    Reading and analysing a case 5.2

  • Analysis 5.5
    • EXERCISE 5 — Analysing a case 5.6
    Rules of law derived from cases are not in fixed verbal form 5.7
    Doctrine of precedent or stare decisis 5.8
  • Rationale of the doctrine of precedent 5.9
  • Limitations of stare decisis 5.10
    • Ratio decidendi 5.11
  • Identifying the ratio 5.12
  • Level of generality 5.14
  • Ratio of appellate decisions 5.15
  • Ratio decidendi and obiter dictum 5.16
    • EXERCISE 6 — Identifying ratio and obiter 5.17
  • Authoritative obiter dicta 5.18
    • Old precedents 5.19
    Hierarchy of courts 5.20
  • Australian jurisdictions 5.21
  • Other common law jurisdictions 5.22
    • Administrative tribunals 5.23
    Alternative dispute resolution 5.25
    Law reporting 5.28
  • Authorised and unauthorised report series 5.29
  • Cases on the internet 5.30
    • Interaction between case law and legislation 5.31

     

    Chapter 6 — Precedent in Australian Courts
    Introduction 6.1
    High Court 6.2

  • When will the High Court overrule itself? 6.3
  • Constitutional case 6.5
  • Non-Constitutional cases 6.9
    • Federal Court 6.10
  • When will the Full Federal Court overrule itself? 6.11
    • Family Court 6.14
    Federal Magistrates Court 6.15
    State and territory Supreme Courts 6.16
  • Single judge 6.16
  • State appellate courts 6.18
  • Decisions of other Supreme Courts 6.21
    • ‘Plainly wrong?’ 6.23
    Inferior courts 6.24
    Administrative tribunals 6.25
    Decisions from other common law jurisdictions 6.27
  • Privy Council 6.28
  • House of Lords and the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom 6.31
    • Equally divided courts 6.34
    EXERCISE 7 — Precedent in Australian courts 6.37

     

    Chapter 7 — Judicial Decision-making
    Introduction 7.1
    Obstacles to fact-finding 7.2
    Appeals 7.3
    Distinction between matters of fact and matters of law 7.7
    How does a trial judge identify the binding legal rule? 7.10
    How to avoid precedents 7.11

  • Distinguishing a precedent on its facts 7.12
  • Statement of law is too wide 7.13
  • Statement of law is obiter dictum 7.14
  • Changed social conditions 7.15
  • Precedent is unsatisfactory 7.16
  • Precedent is wrongly decided 7.17
  • The disadvantages of not following precedent 7.18
    • What factors are taken into account by appellate courts in their creation of law? 7.19
  • A case study: Cattanach v Melchior (2003) 215 CLR 1 7.19
  • Legal authority 7.20
  • Principle 7.21
  • Policy 7.22
  • Judicial legislation 7.23
    • The sequel: Distinguishing wrongful life and wrongful birth in Harriton v Stephens (2006) 226 CLR 52 7.24

     

    PART 3: SOURCES OF LAW: LEGISLATION

    Chapter 8 — Legislation
    Introduction 8.1
    Terminology 8.2
    Differences between legislation and case law 8.3

  • Value or weight of legislative rules 8.4
    • Legislation takes precedence over case law 8.5
    Making statutes 8.6
    Legislative process 8.7
  • Commonly asked questions relating to legislation 8.8
    • Commencement of statutes 8.9
  • Commonwealth 8.10
  • States 8.11
  • New South Wales and Western Australia 8.12
  • Queensland, South Australia and Victoria 8.13
  • Tasmania 8.14
  • Territories 8.15
  • Australian Capital Territory 8.16
  • Northern Territory 8.17
  • Other commencement dates 8.18
  • Revived statutes and sunset clauses 8.19
  • Retrospective commencement 8.20
    • Amendment of statutes 8.21
  • Changing legislation 8.22
  • Repeal of statutes 8.23
  • Express repeal 8.24
  • Implied repeal 8.25
  • Effect of repeal 8.26
  • Repeal of a repealing Act 8.27
  • Disallowance of Territories’ Acts 8.28
    • Formal structure of a statute 8.29
  • Number 8.30
  • Date 8.31
  • Long title 8.32
  • Short title, title or name 8.33
  • Preamble 8.34
  • Sections 8.35
  • Parts, divisions and headings 8.36
  • Tables of contents and indexes 8.37
  • Purpose clauses 8.38
  • Interpretation sections 8.39
  • Headings to sections 8.40
  • Schedules 8.41

    • EXERCISE 8 — Reading and identifying parts of a statute 8.42
    Legislative Dictionaries — Interpretation statutes 8.43

    EXERCISE 9 — Using interpretation legislation 8.44
    Drafting statutes 8.45

  • Plain English and other developments in drafting 8.45
    • Different types of statutes 8.48
  • Public Acts and private Acts 8.49
  • Codes 8.50
  • Uniform laws 8.51
  • Consolidations 8.52
  • Reprinted Acts 8.53
  • Declaratory Acts 8.54
  • Omnibus and cognate Acts 8.55
    • Particular forms of legislation in the Australian territories 8.56
  • Australian Capital Territory 8.57
  • Northern Territory 8.58
  • Other Australian territories 8.59
    • Delegated legislation 8.60
  • Parliamentary scrutiny and consultation 8.61
  • Quasi-delegated legislation 8.62
  • Commencement of delegated legislation 8.63
  • Commonwealth 8.64
  • States and mainland territories 8.65
  • Non self-governing territories 8.66
  • Disallowance, amendment and repeal of delegated legislation 8.67
  • Disallowance 8.67
  • Amendment 8.68
  • Repeal 8.69
  • Automatic repeal 8.70
  • Repeal of regulations 8.71
  • Formal structure of delegated legislation 8.72
  • Different types of delegated legislation 8.73
  • A rule of court 8.74
    • Discussion questions 8.75

     

    Chapter 9 — Approaches to Interpretation of Legislation
    Introduction 9.1
    Common law approaches 9.2

  • Literal approach 9.3
    • Example of the application of the literal approach 9.4
  • Golden rule 9.5
  • Examples of the application of the golden rule 9.6
  • Purposive approach 9.7
  • Example of the application of the purposive
    approach 9.8
  • Purposive approach under legislation 9.9
  • Introduction of s 15AA and similar provisions 9.9
  • Operation and limitations of s 15AA and similar
    provisions 9.10
  • Australian Capital Territory equivalent of s 15AA 9.11
  • Queensland equivalent of s 15AA 9.12
  • South Australian equivalent of s 15AA 9.13
  • Impact of s 15AA and its counterparts 9.14
  • Purposive approach and drafting errors 9.15
    • EXERCISE 10 — Approaches to interpretation 9.16

     

    Chapter 10 — Extrinsic Aids to Interpretation of Legislation
    Introduction 10.1
    Use of extrinsic materials at common law 10.2

  • Parliamentary and related materials 10.3
  • International agreements 10.4
  • Modern approach to statutory interpretation 10.5
    • Use of extrinsic materials under statute 10.6
  • Introduction of s 15AB and similar provisions 10.6
  • Operation of s 15AB and similar provisions 10.7
  • Example of the application of s 15AB 10.9
  • ACT equivalent of s 15AB 10.10
  • Victorian equivalent of s 15AB 10.11
  • Interpretation by reference to international agreements under s 15AB and equivalent provisions 10.12

    •  

    Chapter 11 — Interpretation of Legislation
    Introduction 11.1
    Interpretation with reference to accompanying words 11.2
    Interpretation with reference to other parts of the legislation 11.4

  • Titles or names 11.5
  • Preambles 11.6
  • Interpretation provisions 11.7
  • Headings to parts and divisions 11.8
  • Headings to sections 11.9
  • Schedules 11.10
  • Punctuation 11.11
  • Examples 11.12
    • Interpretation legislation 11.13
    Dictionaries may be consulted 11.14
    Consistent use of words is assumed 11.15
    All words are assumed to carry meaning 11.16
    Words should be interpreted in accordance with their
    current meaning 11.17
    Express mention of something may draw attention to
    the absence of something else 11.18
    Provisions may be interpreted with reference to other
    legislation 11.19
    Provisions may be interpreted with reference to the
    audience 11.20
    Provisions may be interpreted with reference to prior
    or existing law 11.21
    EXERCISE 11 — Interpretation in context 11.22

     

    Chapter 12 —Presumptions Used in Interpretation
    of Legislation
    Introduction 12.1
    Presumption that statutes do not operate
    retrospectively 12.2
    Presumption that Parliament does not interfere with
    fundamental rights 12.3
    Presumption that Parliament does not abrogate the
    privilege against self-incrimination 12.5
    Presumption that Parliament does not abrogate
    legal professional privilege 12.6
    Presumption that Parliament does not deprive people of access to the courts 12.7
    Presumption that re-enactment constitutes approval of previous judicial interpretation 12.8
    Presumption that legislation does not bind the Crown 12.9
    Presumption that penal provisions are strictly construed 12.10
    Presumption that property rights are not taken away without compensation 12.11
    Presumption that legislation does not have
    extraterritorial effect 12.12
    Presumption that Parliament intends to legislate in conformity with international law 12.13
    EXERCISE 12 — Presumptions of interpretation 12.14

     

    Chapter 13 — Statutory Obligations and Discretions
    Introduction 13.1
    How to determine whether a provision is obligatory or
    discretionary 13.2
    How to determine whether breach produces invalidity 13.3
    EXERCISE 13 — Statutory obligations and discretions 13.4
    Applying legislation to complex problems 13.5
    Practical guide to interpretation of legislation 13.6
    Interpreting the Wild Dog Destruction Act: Question
    and Answer 13.7
    EXERCISE 14 — Interpreting the Graffiti Control Act 13.8
    EXERCISE 15 — Interpreting the Impounding Act 13.9

PART 4: LEGAL RESEARCH

    Chapter 14 — Legal Research – How to Start

    Introduction 14.1
    Goals and constraints 14.3
    Strategic approach to legal research 14.4

  • Analyse the facts 14.5
  • S — Situation and Subject matter 14.6
  • H — Harm 14.7
  • A — Actors involved 14.8
  • R — Remedy or Relief 14.9
  • P — Policy considerations 14.10
  • Identify the legal issues and research questions 14.12
  • Research the legal issues thoroughly 14.13
  • Evaluate the results 14.14
  • When should research stop? 14.15
    • Finding sources of legal information 14.16
  • Libraries and online resources 14.17
  • Community resources 14.18
    • Legal research exercises 14.19
    Exercise 16 — Strategy for research 14.20

     

    Chapter 15 — Searching Secondary Sources
    Introduction 15.1
    Legal research strategies 15.2
    Online legal research 15.3

  • How to undertake online legal research 15.4
    • Boolean Searching 15.5
  • Textbooks, casebooks and looseleaf services 15.6
  • Textbook and casebooks 15.7
  • Looseleaf services 15.8
  • Legal encyclopaedias and other general legal works 15.9
  • Halsbury’s Laws of Australia 15.10
  • Example using Halsbury’s Laws of Australia Online 15.11
  • Checking Information is Current 15.12
  • The Laws of Australia 15.13
  • Example using the Law of Australia Online 15.14
  • Halsbury’s Laws of England 15.15
    • Periodical articles 15.16
  • Australian online databases that contain references
    to legal articles 15.17
  • Other online databases containing Australian
    secondary material 15.18
  • Other general indexes 15.19
    • EXERCISE 17 — Searching secondary sources 15.20

     

    Chapter 16 — Searching for Case Law
    Introduction 16.1
    Legal research strategies 16.2

  • Finding case law on a particular subject 16.3
  • Finding the subsequent history of a case 16.4
  • Finding case notes 16.5
  • Finding case references 16.6
  • Finding the meanings of words and phrases 16.7
    • Strategies for using online sources of primary case material 16.8
    Finding case law on a particular subject: principal searching
    aids 16.9
  • Major online sources 16.9
  • CaseBase 16.9
  • FirstPoint 16.10
  • AustLII (F) 16.11
  • CCH Intelliconnect 16.12
  • Court and tribunal homepages (F) 16.13
  • Online sources: International case law 16.14
  • WorldLII (F) 16.14
  • Site for international courts 16.15
  • LexisNexis 16.16
  • Westlaw 16.17
  • Print sources: international case law 16.18
  • The Digest 16.18
  • How to use FirstPoint 16.19
    • EXERCISE 18 — Using FirstPoint 16.20
  • How to use CaseBase 16.21
    • EXERCISE 19 — Using CaseBase 16.22
    Finding case law on a particular subject —
    other searching aids 16.23
  • High Court decisions 16.24
  • Indexes to series of law reports 16.25
    • Finding the subsequent history of a case 16.26
    Finding case notes 16.27
    Finding case references 16.28
    Finding the meaning of words and phrases 16.29
    EXERCISE 20 — Legal research exercise: finding case law 16.30

     

    Chapter 17 — Searching for Legislation
    Introduction 17.1

  • Finding legislation 17.2
    • EXERCISE 21 — Finding statutes 17.3
  • Legal research strategies: Legislation 17.4
  • Principal online searching aids for all jurisdictions 17.5
  • Establishing whether a statutes or delegated legislation has been considered in a case 17.6
    • Commonwealth 17.7
  • Dedicated online sources 17.7
  • Composite sources: online and print 17.8
  • Finding statutes and delegated legislation on a particular subject 17.8
  • Reprints 17.9
  • Commencement dates, amendments
    and repeals 17.10
  • Establishing whether a statute or delegated legislation has been considered in a case 17.11
    • New South Wales 17.12
  • Dedicated online sources 17.12
  • Composite sources: online and print 17.13
  • Finding statutes and delegated legislation on a particular subject 17.13
  • Reprints 17.14
  • Commencement dates, amendments
    and repeals 17.15
  • Establishing whether a statute or delegated legislation has been considered in a case 17.16
    • Queensland 17.17
  • Dedicated online sources 17.17
  • Composite sources: online and print 17.18
  • Finding statutes and delegated legislation on a particular subject 17.18
  • Reprints 17.19
  • Commencement dates, amendments
    and repeals 17.20
  • Establishing whether a statute or delegated legislation has been considered in a case 17.21
    • South Australia 17.22
  • Dedicated online sources 17.22
  • Composite sources: online and print 17.23
  • Finding statutes and delegated legislation on a particular subject 17.23
  • Reprints 17.24
  • Commencement dates, amendments
    and repeals 17.25
  • Establishing whether a statute or delegated legislation has been considered in a case 17.26
    • Tasmania 17.27
  • Dedicated online sources 17.27
  • Composite sources: online and print 17.28
  • Finding statutes and delegated legislation on a particular subject 17.28
  • Reprints 17.29
  • Commencement dates, amendments
    and repeals 17.30
  • Establishing whether a statute or delegated legislation has been considered in a case 17.31
    • Victoria 17.32
  • Dedicated online sources 17.32
  • Composite sources: online and print 17.33
  • Finding statutes and delegated legislation on a particular subject 17.33
  • Reprints 17.34
  • Commencement dates, amendments
    and repeals 17.35
  • Establishing whether a statute or delegated legislation has been considered in a case 17.36
    • Western Australia 17.37
  • Dedicated online sources 17.37
  • Composite sources: online and print 17.38
  • Finding statutes and delegated legislation on a particular subject 17.38
  • Reprints 17.39
  • Commencement dates, amendments
    and repeals 17.40
  • Establishing whether a statute or delegated legislation has been considered in a case 17.41
    • Australian Capital Territory 17.42
  • Dedicated online sources 17.42
  • Composite sources: online and print 17.43
  • Finding statutes and delegated legislation on a particular subject 17.43
  • Reprints 17.44
  • Commencement dates, amendments
    and repeals 17.45
  • Establishing whether a statute or delegated legislation has been considered in a case 17.46
    • Northern Territory 17.47
  • Dedicated online sources 17.47
  • Composite sources: online and print 17.48
  • Finding statutes and delegated legislation on a particular subject 17.48
  • Reprints 17.49
  • Commencement dates, amendments
    and repeals 17.50
  • Establishing whether a statute or delegated legislation has been considered in a case 17.51
    • Finding the latest information 17.52
  • Dedicated online sources 17.53
    • Finding Bills 17.54
  • Dedicated online sources 17.54
  • Composite sources: print 17.55
    • EXERCISE 22 — Finding and updating statutes using the most commonly available online tools 17.56
    EXERCISE 23 — Finding and updating statutes 17.57
    Series of law reports 17.58
    Searching for imperial statutes in force 17.59
  • New South Wales 17.60
  • Queensland 17.61
  • South Australia 17.62
  • Tasmania 17.63
  • Victoria 17.64
  • Western Australia 17.65
  • Australian Capital Territory 17.66
  • Northern Territory 17.67

    •  

    PART 5: LEGAL WRITING, STUDY & EXAM SKILLS

    Chapter 18 — Legal Writing
    Introduction 18.1
    The aim of legal writing 18.2
    Legal style 18.3

  • Different types of legal writing 18.4
  • Simplicity 18.5
  • Precision 18.6
  • Formality 18.7
  • Active voice 18.8
  • Legal terminology and jargon 18.9
  • The Plain English movement 18.10
  • Avoidance of discriminatory language 18.11
  • Use of supporting authority and originality 18.12
    • Legal writing conventions 18.13
  • Footnotes, endnotes, tables and bibliographies 18.13
  • Quotations 18.14
  • Italics 18.15
  • Emphasis 18.16
  • Foreign words and phrases 18.17
  • Capitals 18.18
  • Punctuation 18.19
  • Possessive apostrophes 18.20
  • Numbers and symbols 18.21
    • Writing in the rhetorical style 18.22
    Examples of legal writing 18.23
  • An academic’s piece 18.24
  • An answer to a tort problem for students 18.25
  • Writing a law essay 18.26
    • Presentation of student material 18.27
    Law and literature 18.28

     

    Chapter 19 — Citation
    Introduction 19.1
    Conventions in legal citation 19.2
    Citing cases 19.3

  • Case name 19.4
  • Medium neutral citation system 19.5
  • Description of parties 19.6
  • Criminal cases and prerogative writ proceedings 19.7
  • Relator and ex parte proceedings 19.8
  • Re proceedings 19.9
  • Maritime cases 19.10
  • Cases in which the identity of the parties is
    kept in confidence 19.11
  • Sub nom 19.12
  • Year and volume number of report series 19.13
  • Title of report series 19.14
  • Page and paragraph references 19.15
  • Court or tribunal in which the case was decided 19.16
  • Alternative citations and authorised reports 19.17
  • Unreported decisions 19.18
  • Old English cases 19.19
  • Popular case names 19.20
  • Case histories 19.21
    • Citing statutes 19.22
  • Numbering of statutes 19.23
  • Short titles or names 19.24
  • Enacting jurisdiction 19.25
  • Section references 19.26
  • Citing British and Imperial statutes 19.27
  • Citation by regnal year 19.28
  • Citing early statutes, or statutes with no short title 19.29
  • Ordinances 19.30
  • Bills and Explanatory Memoranda/Notes 19.31
    • Regulations and other delegated legislation 19.32
  • Constitutions
    • Books 19.34
  • Monographs, textbooks, etc 19.34
  • Essays 19.35
  • Multi-volumed works 19.36
  • Legal encyclopaedias and looseleaf services 19.37
    • Legal periodicals 19.38
    Newspapers, magazines and non-legal periodicals 19.39
    Citation of material from the internet 19.40
    Citation of British, Commonwealth and American material 19.41
    Citation of parliamentary and government material 19.42
  • Parliamentary debates 19.42
  • Government reports 19.43
    • Repeated citations 19.44

     

    Chapter 20 — Study and Exam Skills
    Study skills 20.1

  • What are study skills? 20.2
  • Specific study skills 20.3
  • Organisation 20.3
  • Reading 20.4
  • Lecture and other notes 20.5
  • Summaries 20.6
  • Using notes and summaries 20.7
  • Study methods 20.8
  • Reading cases 20.9
  • Learning and remembering 20.10
  • Lectures, seminars and tutorials 20.11
  • How best to study 20.12
  • Seminars and tutorials 20.13
  • Online study 20.14
  • Email etiquette 20.15
    • Exam skills 20.16
  • Preparing course outlines 20.16
  • Open and closed book exams 20.17
  • Preparation 20.18
  • Study groups 20.19
  • In the examination 20.20
  • Outline answers 20.20
  • Managing time 20.21
  • Structuring the answer 20.22
  • Headings 20.23
  • Layout 20.24
  • Abbreviations 20.25
  • Exam procedures 20.26
  • Exam times and places 20.27
  • Sickness 20.28
  • In the exam 20.29
    • EXERCISE 24 — Self-profiling 20.30

     

    PART 6: THE ESSENTIAL LEGAL TOOLKIT

    A. Court Hierarchies
    B. Abbreviations of Commonly Used Law Reports
    C. Guide to Law Reports
    D. Common Legal Abbreviations
    E. Commonly Misspelt Words
    F. Glossary

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