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Australian Consumer Law (LAWS70380)
Graduate coursework level 7Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable (login required)(opens in new window)
Contact information
April
Lecturers
Jeannie Paterson (Coordinator)
Hal Bolitho
Email: law-masters@unimelb.edu.au
Phone: 13 MELB (13 6352), International: +(61 3) 9035 5511
Website: law.unimelb.edu.au
Overview
Availability(Quotas apply) | April |
---|---|
Fees | Look up fees |
Australia has a detailed and comprehensive consumer protection regime dealing with the supply of goods and services, including financial products, to consumers. Primary legislation is the Australian Consumer Law (ACL), found in Schedule 2 of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010(Cth); equivalent provisions in the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001 (Cth) (ASIC Act) applying to financial services and products; and, for consumer credit, the National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009 (NCCP Act). This subject explores the key features of the consumer protection regimes underlying the supply of goods, services and credit to consumers, along with the common law principles and policy imperatives that underpin these regimes. The lecturers include one of the Law School's private lawyers with specialist expertise in consumer law, and a leading practitioner in this field of law.
Principal topics include:
- Purposes of consumer protection law
- The regulatory toolkit
- Common law doctrines underlying the legislative regime
- Enforcement and remedial strategies.
- Key consumer protection regimes under the Australian Consumer Law, Australian Securities and Investment Commission Act 2001 (Cth) and the National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009 including:
- Misleading or deceptive conduct
- Unconscionable conduct
- Interest rate caps and responsible lending
- The specific regulation of small amount loans
- Unfair contract terms.
- Consumer guarantees and implied terms
Intended learning outcomes
A student who has successfully completed this subject will:
- Have an advanced and integrated understanding of the legal principles governing consumer protection law in Australia and the common law doctrines relevant to those regimes
- Be able to critically examine, analyse, interpret and assess the effectiveness of these legal regimes
- Be an engaged participant in debates surrounding emerging and contemporary issues in the development of Australian consumer protection law
- Have a sophisticated appreciation of the factors and processes driving reform of the consumer protection regime in Australia
- Have an advanced understanding of situations in which consumer protection issues may arise in commercial transactions
- Have a detailed understanding of the interaction between common law doctrines and consumer protection legislation
- Have the cognitive and technical skills to generate critical and creative ideas relating to effective consumer protection strategies and to critically evaluate existing legal theories and strategies for the protection of consumers
- Have the cognitive and technical skills to independently examine, research and analyse existing and emerging legal issues relating to effective consumer protection strategies and regimes
- Have the communication skills to clearly articulate and convey complex information regarding consumer protection to relevant specialist and non-specialist audiences
- Be able demonstrate autonomy, judgment and responsibility in the field of consumer protection law.
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
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: 31 January 2024
Assessment
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Class presentation on an agreed topic with PPT slides submitted as a PDF documentation after the presentation. (No more than 500 words)
| During the teaching period | 20% |
Assessment 2, Option 1: Take-home examination
| 14 - 17 June 2024 | 80% |
Assessment 2, Option 2: Research paper on a topic set by the subject coordinator.
| 10 July 2024 | 80% |
Hurdle requirement: A minimum of 75% attendance is required. | Throughout the teaching period | N/A |
Additional details
Note: Students must choose assessment from the options listed above. If an option contains parts, all parts must be completed if that option is chosen.
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Quotas apply to this subject
Dates & times
- April
Principal coordinator Jeannie Paterson Coordinator Hal Bolitho Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours Total time commitment 150 hours Pre teaching start date 1 April 2024 Pre teaching requirements Please refer to the Reading Guide on the LMS subject page for confirmation of which resources need to be read and what other preparation is required before the teaching period commences. Teaching period 29 April 2024 to 3 May 2024 Last self-enrol date 5 April 2024 Census date 30 April 2024 Last date to withdraw without fail 31 May 2024 Assessment period ends 10 July 2024 April contact information
Lecturers
Jeannie Paterson (Coordinator)
Hal BolithoEmail: law-masters@unimelb.edu.au
Phone: 13 MELB (13 6352), International: +(61 3) 9035 5511
Website: law.unimelb.edu.au
What do these dates mean
Visit this webpage to find out about these key dates, including how they impact on:
- Your tuition fees, academic transcript and statements.
- And for Commonwealth Supported students, your:
- Student Learning Entitlement. This applies to all students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP).
Subjects withdrawn after the census date (including up to the ‘last day to withdraw without fail’) count toward the Student Learning Entitlement.
Additional delivery details
This subject has a quota of 30 students.
Enrolment is on a 'first in' basis. Waitlists are maintained for subjects that are fully subscribed.
Students should note priority of waitlisted places in subjects will be given as follows:
- To currently enrolled Graduate Diploma and Masters students with a satisfactory record in their degree
- To other students enrolling on a single subject basis, eg Community Access Program (CAP) students, cross-institutional study and cross-faculty study.
Please refer to the Melbourne Law Masters website for further information about the management of subject quotas and waitlists.
Melbourne Law School may reserve places in a subject for incoming international cohorts or where a subject is core to a specialisation with limited alternate options.
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
Specialist materials will be made available via the LMS in the pre-teaching period.
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Course Master of Laws Course Master of Banking and Finance Law Course Graduate Diploma in Banking and Finance Law Course Graduate Diploma in Construction Law Course Master of Construction Law Course Master of Private Law Course Master of Commercial Law - Links to additional information
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
Additional information for this subject
If required, please contact law-masters@unimelb.edu.au for subject coordinator approval.
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
This subject is available to students studying at the University from eligible overseas institutions on exchange and study abroad. Students are required to satisfy any listed requirements, such as pre- and co-requisites, for enrolment in the subject.
Last updated: 31 January 2024