LAW4572 · Family violence law

Overview

This unit focuses on legal responses to the pervasive problem of family violence. It considers the nature and adequacy of our laws in preventing, identifying and responding to gendered family violence. The unit is structured around four themes: gender, violence and prevention; separation; children and; harm. You will examine areas of law relevant to family violence issues and legal processes designed to prevent and respond to family violence issues including family law, criminal law, child protection, civil protection orders and human rights law. A focus of attention will be on the appropriateness and quality of various formal and informal processes in cases of family violence. You will also explore the role of legal professionals in the prevention, identification, mitigation, and punishment of family violence. An emphasis will be on collaboration with other legal professionals and other professions and upon trauma-informed lawyering. Drawing from knowledge gained in the unit, you will develop a law and/or policy reform research assignment.

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

Learning outcomes

1. Identify relevant areas of law appropriate to a range of family violence matters and articulate the complex interaction between these areas of law.
2. Evaluate the appropriateness of both formal and informal processes in family violence matters including litigation, mediation and restorative processes.
3. Demonstrate the skills and knowledge required of lawyers to work effectively, ethically and collaboratively with other professionals in matters of family violence.
4. Make recommendations for law and/or policy reform which critically evaluate the benefits and limitations of law in preventing and responding to family violence.

Workload

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. The unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.