Major Overview

Description

What impact does law have on our lives? To what extent does law either control what we do or allow us to achieve what we want? Is the law the same thing as justice? Can the world be saved by law? This major examines broad theoretical issues about the nature of law and society as well as how the relationship plays out in particular fields of legal and social policy at both domestic and international levels. The fields you may study include human rights, decisions about birth and death, crime and justice, Indigenous rights, freedom of expression and religion. Studying Law and Society will help you develop important skills in research, analysis, teamwork and communication.

Outcomes

Students are able to:

  1. demonstrate comprehensive understanding with depth in what we know about the law, how it is made and how it works in our society
  2. demonstrate understanding of the underlying dynamics of the interdisciplinary field of law and society and its relationship to criminology including an in-depth understanding of legal reasoning, rules, institutions, players and power structures
  3. demonstrate understanding of the relationship between local, national and international legal systems, rules, practices and institutions
  4. demonstrate understanding of how law operates within social, cultural, political and historical contexts
  5. demonstrate well-developed cognitive skills to review, analyse, consolidate and synthesise knowledge, identify and solve defined problems, and exercise critical judgement and thinking in creating new understanding
  6. demonstrate well-developed bibliographic and referencing skills
  7. demonstrate basic time and project management skills
  8. demonstrate well-developed skills to present data and evidence in an appropriate format and communicate through written and oral media clearly, effectively and appropriately in a range of contexts for a variety of audiences
  9. demonstrate well-developed skills to work productively in a group; (10) use judgement and initiative by developing (a) ethical approaches and mature judgement in practical and academic matters; and (b) the capacity for effective citizenship, leadership and teamwork; and (11) take responsibility and accountability for their own learning having developed attitudes which (a) value learning; and (b) respect Indigenous knowledge, values and culture.
Broadening guidelines

All students studying towards a Bachelor's Degree at UWA are required to Broaden their studies by completing a minimum of four units (24 points) of study outside their degree specific major. Broadening is your opportunity to explore other areas of interest, investigate new disciplines and knowledge paradigms and to shape your degree to suit your own aspirations and interests. Many of you will be able to undertake more than this minimum amount of broadening study and we encourage you to do so if this suits your aspirations. Over the next few months you will find here some broadening suggestions related to your degree-specific major. While we know that many students value guidance of this sort, these are only suggestions and students should not lose sight of the opportunity to explore that is afforded by your Broadening Choices. Advice can also be sought from your Allocated Student Advising Office.

Courses

Law and Society can be taken as a degree-specific major in the following degree courses:

Example Study Plan

See study plans for more information.

Units

Key to availability of units:
S1
Semester 1
S2
Semester 2
N/A
not available in 2025 – may be available in 2026 or 2027

Level 1

Students taking this major in conjunction with the Criminology major [MJD-CRIMN] must select their units such that no more than 18 points, comprising 12 points at level one and 6 points at level two, of units are shared between the two majors. No level three units may be shared between the majors. Students encountering any difficulties reflecting this requirement in their study plan should seek guidance from their allocated advising office.

Degree-specific major units

Take all units (12 points):

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 LAWS1110 Crime and Society None
S1 LAWS1111 Law in Context None

Level 2

Students taking this major in conjunction with the Criminology major [MJD-CRIMN] must select their units such that no more than 18 points, comprising 12 points at level one and 6 points at level two, of units are shared between the two majors. No level three units may be shared between the majors. Students encountering any difficulties reflecting this requirement in their study plan should seek guidance from their allocated advising office.

Degree-specific major units

Take the following unit:

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 LAWS2227 Law in Action
Prerequisites
LAWS1111 Law, Conflict and Change
Degree-specific major units

Take unit(s) to the value of 12 points:

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 LAWS2220 Birth, Life and Death: Health and Medical Law
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
any one LAWS1104 Introduction to Law
or LAWX1104 Introduction to Law
or LAWS1110 Crime and Society
or LAWS1111 Law, Conflict and Change
or LAWS1112 Adulting: Law for Everyday Lives
or LAWS1120 Australian Legal Principles and Institutions
or ANHB1101 Human Biology I: Becoming Human
or ANHX1101 Human Biology 1 (Becoming Human)
or IMED1001 Form and Function
or PUBH1101 Health and Illness in Human Populations
S1 LAWS2223 Criminal Justice Systems
Prerequisites
LAWS1110 Crime and Society
S2 LAWS2224 Human Rights: Law and Context
Co-requisites
LAWS1111 Law, Conflict, and Change (formerly LAWS1111 Legal Systems)
S1 LAWS2225 Indigenous Peoples and the Law
Prerequisites
LAWS1104 Introduction to Law
or LAWX1104 Introduction to Law
or LAWS1111 Law, Conflict and Change
or LAWS1120 Australian Legal Principles and Institutions
or LAWS1112 Adulting: Law for Everyday Lives
N/A LAWS2226 International Legal Institutions
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
one level 1 6 points Unit(s)

Level 3

Students taking this major in conjunction with the Criminology major [MJD-CRIMN] must select their units such that no more than 18 points, comprising 12 points at level one and 6 points at level two, of units are shared between the two majors. No level three units may be shared between the majors. Students encountering any difficulties reflecting this requirement in their study plan should seek guidance from their allocated advising office.

Degree-specific major units

Take the following unit:

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 LAWS3316 Law, Advocacy, Activism and Change
Prerequisites
Completion of at least 78 points which must include LAWS2227 Law in Action and at least one other level two Law and Society option unit
Degree-specific major units

Take unit(s) to the value of 12 points:

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 LAWS3214 International Law and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
72 points in an undergraduate degree.
S2 LAWS3221 Creative Expression and the Law
Prerequisites
LAWS1104 Introduction to Law
or LAWS1111 Law, Conflict and Change
or LAWS1120 Australian Legal Principles and Institutions
or LAWS1112 Adulting: Law for Everyday Lives
and LAWS2227 Law in Action
Incompatibility
LAWS2221 Creative Expression and the Law
N/A LAWS3317 Social Media and the Law
Prerequisites
For Law and Society major students: LAWS1111 Law, Conflict and Change
or LAWS1112 Adulting: Law for Everyday Lives
and LAWS2227 Law in Action.
All other students: completion of 48 points of study.
N/A LAWS3330 Gender and the Law
Prerequisites
Criminology major students
Successful completion of
LAWS1110 Crime and Society LAWS2223 Criminal Justice Systems and at least one other Level 2 option unit from any major For students in the Bachelor of Human Rights degree
Successful completion of
LAWS2224 Evolution of Human Rights and and at least one other Level 2 option unit from any major For all other students
Successful completion of
LAWS2227 Law in Action
or LAWS2220 Birth, Life and Death: Health and Medical Law at least one other Level 2 option from Law and Society
N/A LAWS3334 Law and Religion
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
LAWS2227 Law in Action
or LAWS2224 Evolution of Human Rights
or LAWS2223 Criminal Justice Systems
N/A LAWS3344 Law and Contemporary Social Issues
Prerequisites
LAWS2227 Law in Action and at least one Level 2 Law and Society option unit.
S2 LAWS3374 Crime, Justice and Public Policy
Prerequisites
LAWS1110 Crime and Society LAWS2223 Criminal Justice System
N/A LAWS3384 Music and the Law
Prerequisites
LAWS1110 Crime and Society (ID 1219)
and LAWS1111 Law, Conflict and Change (ID 1359)
and LAWS2227 Law in Action (ID 1259)