HSC Legal Studies Question Thread

[jamonwindeyer]

some one please help me haha I'm really really bad at essays for legal basically. and It's kinda weird (or maybe not?) considering i'm pretty good at English essays. I did pretty trash in my family essay in trials and I got 18/25 for world order which is okay i suppose but obviously lots of room to improve. I really have no idea how to write a confident, valid essay for legal. whether crime, family or world order or even just in general any tips would be amazing

Hey! I think there are two key aspects to a succesful legal essay:

- A good thesis, here is a guide to that!
- Lots of evidence, we've got a heap of free notes that could help with that

Ultimately a Legal essay is an argument (Thesis) that needs to be proven (evidence). If you get those two bits right, you are all sweet!

[toasted]

Hey!

I'm really struggling to construct an effective structure for the Family Law question "Evaluate the effectiveness of the law in dealing with issues related to same sex couples". I just find these types of questions extremely specific.
I was thinking about having a paragraph on marriage but apart from that i'm stuck (maybe adoption and separation)
Any suggestions?

[~BK~]

Hey! I think there are two key aspects to a succesful legal essay:

- A good thesis, here is a guide to that!
- Lots of evidence, we've got a heap of free notes that could help with that

Ultimately a Legal essay is an argument (Thesis) that needs to be proven (evidence). If you get those two bits right, you are all sweet!

hey...
i know i wasn't the one that asked the question, but i have issues in regard to legal essays structure as well!!
thats awesome advice, thanks jamon!!!
what do you think about the point, evidence, explain, link structure for legal?! thats what we've been taught to do but i'm not 100% sure!?
thanks again
~BK~

[jamonwindeyer]

Hey!

I'm really struggling to construct an effective structure for the Family Law question "Evaluate the effectiveness of the law in dealing with issues related to same sex couples". I just find these types of questions extremely specific.
I was thinking about having a paragraph on marriage but apart from that i'm stuck (maybe adoption and separation)
Any suggestions?

Welcome to the forums! So this was actually my favourite topic for the Family elective because it is actually full of stuff if you know what to look for. I structured mine:

- A paragraph on the gradual decriminalisation of homosexual relationships
- A paragraph or two on how equal rights have been/are being achieved for same sex de-facto couples
- A paragraph on the work still to be done, in terms of marriage equality

So I tended to approach it as, "We've been effective, but we're ineffective since there is still more to do." You could absolutely pop some paragraphs on adoption/separation in as well, all would work! These are some summary sheets that could be useful in finding some evidence

[jamonwindeyer]

hey...
i know i wasn't the one that asked the question, but i have issues in regard to legal essays structure as well!!
thats awesome advice, thanks jamon!!!
what do you think about the point, evidence, explain, link structure for legal?! thats what we've been taught to do but i'm not 100% sure!?
thanks again
~BK~

PEEL works really well for Legal - Though I think sometimes your point and link will end up very much intertwined. Like, your point might be, "Courts do a shit job at achieving justice," but that in itself could be linking to the question. Or, you might need to go one extra to make the link, "Thus showing how the criminal justice system fails to achieve equality." Point was about courts, link was to a larger idea. So it totally depends I think.

I'd also personally replace the EXPLAIN part of PEEL with EVALUATE, since that is more commonly what you'll be doing.

But yep, PEEL works really well! A great way to make sure you are continually answering the question

[toasted]

Welcome to the forums! So this was actually my favourite topic for the Family elective because it is actually full of stuff if you know what to look for. I structured mine:

- A paragraph on the gradual decriminalisation of homosexual relationships
- A paragraph or two on how equal rights have been/are being achieved for same sex de-facto couples
- A paragraph on the work still to be done, in terms of marriage equality

So I tended to approach it as, "We've been effective, but we're ineffective since there is still more to do." You could absolutely pop some paragraphs on adoption/separation in as well, all would work! These are some summary sheets that could be useful in finding some evidence

THATS BRILLIANT TYSM (both the structure and the amazing summary sheets) 

[caitlinlddouglas]

Hey I wanted to use the example of the Listening Devices Act 1984 (NSW) to talk about the issue of increasing police powers vs gaining better outcomes for victims, with regard to a reform in 2015 enabling them to use videos of recorded DV incidents to be used as evidence in court but I can't find the name of the amendment anywhere! Would anyone know what it was called,? If not could I just say "the 2015 amendment to the Listening Devices Act 1984 (NSW) ..." Thanks

[~BK~]

PEEL works really well for Legal - Though I think sometimes your point and link will end up very much intertwined. Like, your point might be, "Courts do a shit job at achieving justice," but that in itself could be linking to the question. Or, you might need to go one extra to make the link, "Thus showing how the criminal justice system fails to achieve equality." Point was about courts, link was to a larger idea. So it totally depends I think.

I'd also personally replace the EXPLAIN part of PEEL with EVALUATE, since that is more commonly what you'll be doing.

But yep, PEEL works really well! A great way to make sure you are continually answering the question

thanks heaps, thats good to know...
haha, yep i'll use your terminology for my point
i find if you do PEEL then you hafta make sure you've got all your evidence!!

[georgiia]

I was just wondering if creation of legislation is considered law reform even if it isn't amending any previous legislation?
Like in a law reform question could you evaluate the effectiveness of the creation of Crimes (Sentencing Procedures) Act 1999 (NSW) in terms of the different types of penalties and how effective they are by means of this statute?

Thanks!

[elysepopplewell]

Hey I wanted to use the example of the Listening Devices Act 1984 (NSW) to talk about the issue of increasing police powers vs gaining better outcomes for victims, with regard to a reform in 2015 enabling them to use videos of recorded DV incidents to be used as evidence in court but I can't find the name of the amendment anywhere! Would anyone know what it was called,? If not could I just say "the 2015 amendment to the Listening Devices Act 1984 (NSW) ..." Thanks

Hi there! You won't believe that my memory knew this came into play on June 1st of 2015 - it was in my own HSC! Here's a link to what I think you're after! I found it because I could remember the date to google lol. However, this is not an amendment to the act you've mentioned, I can only find Queensland documents for that one! Is this the same, or are you referring to a different thing?

Sounds like a great argument you're building!

I was just wondering if creation of legislation is considered law reform even if it isn't amending any previous legislation?
Like in a law reform question could you evaluate the effectiveness of the creation of Crimes (Sentencing Procedures) Act 1999 (NSW) in terms of the different types of penalties and how effective they are by means of this statute?

Thanks!

Definitely! Creation of new laws is definitely a reform, even though I know "reform" implies changing something already existing - see it more as changing the overall body of laws So yep, new legislation slips in there!

[caitlinlddouglas]

Hi there! You won't believe that my memory knew this came into play on June 1st of 2015 - it was in my own HSC! Here's a link to what I think you're after! I found it because I could remember the date to google lol. However, this is not an amendment to the act you've mentioned, I can only find Queensland documents for that one! Is this the same, or are you referring to a different thing?

Sounds like a great argument you're building!

Definitely! Creation of new laws is definitely a reform, even though I know "reform" implies changing something already existing - see it more as changing the overall body of laws So yep, new legislation slips in there!

Yeah that was it! I didn't realise it was a new piece of legislation . Thanks so much!

[Claire?]

Hey, Were the legal studies revision videos (which were awesome btw) meant to cut off half way through for Essays and Sentencing and Punishment?

[jamonwindeyer]

Hey, Were the legal studies revision videos (which were awesome btw) meant to cut off half way through for Essays and Sentencing and Punishment?

Definitely not! They seem to work for me - Perhaps try in another browser?

[elysepopplewell]

Hey, Were the legal studies revision videos (which were awesome btw) meant to cut off half way through for Essays and Sentencing and Punishment?

Glad you liked them! Let us know if you keep having troubles.

[caitlinlddouglas]

Glad you liked them! Let us know if you keep having troubles.

hey that happened to me too? They're so great though thanks!