LAWS7021 Public Law

The course aims to provide an overview of public law to non-law graduates and law graduates from a civil law background. It also aims to highlight some of the features of public law that make Australia unique. Public law centres on the relationship between government and individuals and between government institutions themselves. The course examines the key features of public law including:

• constitutional law (including the central provisions of the Australian and Queensland constitutions, federalism, the separation of powers, parliamentary sovereignty, executive and executive accountability, and democracy and representative government);
• administrative law (including its theoretical basis, the differences between merits and judicial review, and accountability through legislative initiatives such as freedom of information and ombudsmen); and
• criminal law and procedure (including the general principles underlying the Queensland Criminal Code, the classification of offences and defences, and criminal procedure from arrest right through to trial (and possible appeal).