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Environmental Law (LAWS70068)
Graduate coursework level 7Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
September
Subject Coordinators: Brendan Sydes and Anita Foerster
Email: law-masters@unimelb.edu.au
Phone: +61 3 8344 6190
Website: law.unimelb.edu.au
Overview
Availability(Quotas apply) | September |
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Fees | Look up fees |
The subject is designed as an overview of environmental law for students without a legal background. A student who has successfully completed this subject should:
- Gain an understanding of the evolution of environmental law and the factors driving change at international and domestic levels
- Appreciate the pervasive nature of environmental law across jurisdictions
- Understand the influence of other disciplines, such as science, on the scope, direction and character of environmental law
- Be able to analyse the nature of current environmental law approaches such as the ‘regulatory mix’
- Be familiar with key case studies that illustrate the dynamic trends in environmental law
- Understand the need for integration across many areas of law to achieve environmental goals, such as ecologically sustainable development.
Intended learning outcomes
This subject will provide an examination of the development and current scope of Australian environmental law, with a focus on the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) and related state environmental assessment laws (eg the Environmental Effects Act 1978 (Vic)) and pollution control legislation (eg the Environment Protection Act 1970 (Vic)). There will be also an introduction to international environmental law.
Principal topics will include:
- Greater diversity in environmental law approaches, including integration with other regulatory areas which could include planning, natural resource management, water use and indigenous land management, and the use of financial measures and economic instruments in regulation.
- The growing importance of international law, with the recognition that environmental protection issues cross territorial and regulatory boundaries
- Greater integration between relevant disciplines concerned with environmental protection
These themes will be illustrated by case studies, which could be situated within the following areas:
- Ecologically sustainable development and changing conceptions of the ‘environment’
- Environmental actors, including public interest litigation
- The range of legal and regulatory tools used in environmental law, including market mechanisms such as emissions trading schemes.
- The interaction of law and science, with a focus on the precautionary principle
- Integration and complexity challenges in implementing environmental law with a focus on biodiversity protection
- International law trends including trade and environment and trans-boundary harms.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
This subject is only offered to students from the Office for Environmental Programs.
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Recommended background knowledge
Applicants without legal qualifications should note that subjects are offered in the discipline of law at an advanced graduate level. While every effort will be made to meet the needs of students trained in other fields, concessions will not be made in the general level of instruction or assessment. Most subjects assume the knowledge usually acquired in a degree in law (LLB, JD or equivalent). Applicants should note that admission to some subjects in the Melbourne Law Masters will be dependent upon the individual applicant’s educational background and professional experience.
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Assessment
Additional details
- Take-home examination of 4,000 words, taken 27 – 30 October 2017 (50%)
and - Research essay of 4,000 words, due 29 November 2017 (50%)
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Quotas apply to this subject
Dates & times
- September
Principal coordinator Brendan Sydes Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 24-26 hours Total time commitment 150 hours Pre teaching start date 28 August 2017 Pre teaching requirements The pre-teaching period commences four weeks before the subject commencement date. From this time, students are expected to access and review the Reading Guide that will be available from the LMS subject page and the subject materials provided by the subject coordinator, which will be available from Melbourne Law School. Refer to the Reading Guide for confirmation of which resources need to be read and what other preparation is required before the teaching period commences. Teaching period 25 September 2017 to 29 September 2017 Last self-enrol date 9 December 2016 Census date 25 September 2017 Last date to withdraw without fail 27 October 2017 Assessment period ends 29 November 2017 September contact information
Subject Coordinators: Brendan Sydes and Anita Foerster
Email: law-masters@unimelb.edu.au
Phone: +61 3 8344 6190
Website: law.unimelb.edu.au
Additional delivery details
This subject has a quota of 30 students. Please refer to the Melbourne Law Masters website for further information about the management of subject quotas and waitlists.
The pre-teaching period commences four weeks before the subject commencement date. From this time, students are expected to access and review the Reading Guide that will be available from the LMS subject page and the subject materials provided by the subject coordinator, which will be available from Melbourne Law School. Refer to the Reading Guide for confirmation of which resources need to be read and what other preparation is required before the teaching period commences.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
Specialist printed materials will be made available free of charge from the Melbourne Law School prior to the pre-teaching period.
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
- Links to additional information
environment.unimelb.edu.au
Last updated: 3 November 2022