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Environmental Law (LAWS50078)
Graduate coursework level 5Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
Overview
| Availability(Quotas apply) | November |
|---|---|
| Fees | Look up fees |
This subject introduces students to the domestic and international dimensions of environmental regulation. It develops and integrates legal knowledge from a range of disciplinary and interdisciplinary fields (e.g. administrative law and torts law; environmental science and geography), augmenting this through study of specific environmental legislation and case law to build an understanding of the interactions that define environmental law. Topics addressed include the values the changes that found and confound environmental law including philosophical and Indigenous understandings of place, structures of environmental governance, modes and principles of environmental regulation, and the intersections of domestic and international environmental law. Case studies considered throughout the subject provide students with an understanding of recent developments in this dynamic area.
Intended learning outcomes
A student who has successfully completed this subject should have an advanced and integrated understanding of, and be able to critically analyse, reflect on and synthesise complex information, problems, concepts and theories in relation to, the following issues:
- the evolution of environmental law and the factors driving change at an international and domestic level, spanning national, state and territory, and local governance.
- the pervasive nature of environmental regulation, the actors that shape it and the challenges faced, both domestically and internationally.
- the intersections of environmental law with other disciplines, such as science, and the challenges this poses for decision-makers
- the principles underpinning current environmental law approaches, including the acknowledgement of and oftentimes ignorance of Indigenous knowledges and experiences.
- key case studies that illustrate the dynamic trends in environmental law, drawing upon both comparative domestic law and international law, and the use of case study methodology to inform analysis of environmental law.
- the breadth of laws necessary to achieve environmental goals, such as ecologically sustainable development.
Generic skills
On completion of the subject, students should have developed and demonstrated expert skills, including:
- Mastery of theoretical knowledge and demonstrated ability to critically reflect on theory and professional practice on issues of environmental law;
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills to investigate, analyse and synthesise complex information, problems, concepts and theories, and to apply established theories to different areas of environmental regulation;
- Communication and technical research skills to justify and interpret theoretical propositions, methodologies, conclusions and professional decisions to specialist and non-specialist audiences;
- Technical and communication skills to design, evaluate, implement, analyse and theorise about developments that contribute to environmental professional practice or legal scholarship, at both a domestic and international level;
- Attitudes towards legal knowledge that include openness to new ideas and awareness of location, plural knowledges and politics in its creation and use;
- A critical and applied understanding of plural diverse international, regional and domestic legal systems;
- An expanded capacity for self-directed legal research involving interdisciplinary materials and high-level personal autonomy and accountability with respect to time management; and
- An awareness of the value of collaborative learning and participation in a seminar style teaching environment.
Last updated: 18 March 2024