Year
2024Credit points
10Campus offering
Prerequisites
LEGL101 Introduction to Business Law: Legal Frameworks for Businesses
Teaching organisation
150 hours over a twelve-week semester or equivalent study period
Unit rationale, description and aim
This unit covers the law regulating corporations within Australia. Students will learn the relevant rules duties and law that governs corporations and directors. The aim of the unit is to teach students relevant problem-solving skills, to analyse relevant legal problems in context and to develop persuasive and coherent arguments. This technique is of general application to working with law and so will benefit students in their later professional lives, and help put company law into proper perspective.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
| Learning Outcome Number | Learning Outcome Description | Relevant Graduate Capabilities |
|---|---|---|
| LO1 | Explain the legal issues that impact business organisations and sustainable value for business and society at large, considering an inclusive and sustainable global economy | GC1, GC7 |
| LO2 | Discuss the interaction between common law and statute law | GC1, GC12 |
| LO3 | Explain the current status of corporations’ law within Australia | GC1, GC3 |
| LO4 | Analyse legal problems in a business context and commercial setting | GC2 |
Content
Topics will include:
- Legal capacity, legal personality, professional responsibility, general duty of care
- Characteristics of a Company
- Partnerships, joint ventures, trading trusts
- Co-operatives and other legal entities
- The Company Constitution
- Company’s Relations with Outsiders
- Share Capital, Membership and Dividends
- Directors and Corporate Governance
- Directors’ Duties: Good Faith
- Directors’ Duties: Duty of Care, Skill & Diligence
- Directors’ Duties & Conflicts of Interest
- Members’ Meetings and Members’ remedies
- Liquidation
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
Mode of delivery:
The unit will be offered in different modes, namely “Attendance” mode “Multi” mode and “Online” mode.
Attendance Mode
Lectures, tutorials and/or workshops will require face-to-face attendance on campus. Learning and teaching strategies will include lectures being used to introduce and explore concepts and issues. Tutorials and workshops will enhance understanding and develop skills. They will involve guided discussion, demonstration problems and case studies.
Multi-Mode
In the multi-mode, the unit will involve a mix of face-to-face and online delivery. The multi-mode of delivery provides for flexible learning including recorded lectures and assessments delivered online.
ACU Online
This unit uses an active learning approach to support students in the exploration of knowledge essential to the discipline. Students are provided with choice and variety in how they learn. Students are encouraged to contribute to asynchronous weekly discussions. Active learning opportunities provide students with opportunities to practice and apply their learning in situations similar to their future professions. Activities encourage students to bring their own examples to demonstrate understanding, application and engage constructively with their peers. Students receive regular and timely feedback on their learning, which includes information on their progress.
Assessment strategy and rationale
A range of assessment procedures will be used to meet the unit learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes consistent with University assessment requirements. Such procedures may include, but are not limited to: essays, reports, online quizzes, examinations, student presentations, tutorial participation and engagement or case studies.
Overview of assessments
Attendance and Multi Mode
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes | Graduate Capabilities |
|---|---|---|---|
Assessment Task 1: Case Study Moot Presentation or alternatively Tutorial Participation & Engagement This assessment task consists of a 15-20 minute oral presentation and a 500 word written submission. Students undertake both a written and verbal presentation which analyses a given legal problem. Students are expected to undertake legal research and to develop a coherent and well-reasoned legal argument that is both persuasive and articulate. Alternatively, students will be assessed on active participation and engagement within tutorials, attempting problems and answering questions. Submission type: Individual & Group Assessment Method: Case Study Moot Presentation / or Tutorial Participation and Engagement Artefact: Presentation notes / written notes / verbal participation and engagement | 20% | LO2, LO4 | GC1, GC2, GC12 |
Assessment Task 2: Individual Research Report or alternatively an Online Quiz This assessment task consists of a 1000-1250 word written report. This task requires students to demonstrate the ability to research an area of business law and to provide written advice that is supported by relevant legal principles. Alternatively, an online quiz consisting of multiple choice answers and true/false responses will be administered. Submission type: Individual Assessment Method: Research Report or Online Quiz Artefact: Written report or Online Quiz | 30% | LO1 | GC1, GC7, GC12 |
Assessment Task 3: Exam This assessment task consists of a 2-hour final exam. This task requires students to demonstrate their knowledge of topics covered within the unit. Submission type: Individual Assessment Method: Exam Artefact: Exam paper with responses | 50% | LO3, LO4 | GC1, GC2, GC3 |
ACU Online
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes | Graduate Capabilities |
|---|---|---|---|
Assessment Task 1: Online tutorial/workshop participation & engagement Students will be assessed on active participation and engagement within tutorials or workshops attempting problems and answering questions within an online environment, including online discussion boards. Submission type: Individual & Group Assessment Method: Online Tutorial/Workshop Participation & Engagement Artefact: Presentation l participation and engagement within an online environment. | 20% | LO2, LO4 | GC1, GC2, GC12 |
Assessment Task 2: Online Research Report or alternatively an Online Quiz. This assessment task consists of a 1000-word written report. The task requires students to demonstrate the ability to research an area of business law and to provide written advice that is supported by relevant legal principles and submitted by students via ACU Online. Alternatively, an online quiz consisting of multiple-choice answers and true/false responses that will be administered via ACU Online. Submission type: Individual Assessment Method: Online Research Report/Online Quiz Artefact: Online Research Report or Online Quiz | 30% | LO1 | GC1, GC7 |
Assessment Task 3: Online Exam This assessment task consists of a 2-hour final exam delivered and uploaded via ACU Online. Submission type: Individual Assessment Method: Exam Artefact: Online Exam | 50% | LO3, LO4 | GC1, GC2, GC3 |
Representative texts and references
Harris J, Hargovan A, Adams M, Australian Corporate Law, 6th Edition, Lexis Nexis Australia, 2018.
Harris J., Corporations Law – Butterworths Questions and Answers series, 4th ed., Lexis Nexis Butterworths, 2013.
Hanrahan, Ramsay & Stapledon, Commercial Applications of Company Law, 19th Edition, OUP, 2018.
Lipton, Herzberg, Welch, Understanding Company Law, 19th Edition, 2018 Thompson Reuters, NSW.
Commonwealth legislation
Federal Acts and Regulations
Austlii
Federal, State and Territory court decisions, Acts and Regulations
FindLaw
Coverage of cases and articles on legal subject areas
High Court
High Court decisions
ASIC
Australian Securities and Investments Commission
ASX
Australian Securities Exchange