Studying online (if an online offering is shown below)
There are now 2 possible online modes for units:
Units with modes Online timetabled and Online flexible are available for any student to self-enrol and study online.
Click on an offering mode for more details.
Unit Overview
- Description
The law of unjust enrichment has until recently been the forgotten area of private law. It is now firmly entrenched as the third fundamental area of the law of obligations, along with contract and tort. This unit addresses the distinguishing features of this category of claim and its place in the broader private law comprising common law, equity and statute. It examines core areas of the law of unjust enrichment including mistaken payments, duress, failure of consideration and available defences such as change of position. It also critically analyses claims the nature of which have been highly contested, such as undue influence, unconscionable dealing, ‘no intention to benefit' and claims involving public authorities. In so doing, the unit will consider challenging and related concepts such as waiver of tort, tracing and the laws of estoppel. The unit also examines the law of restitution, the gains-based remedy for actions in unjust enrichment and an under-appreciated additional remedy available to other causes of action such as wrongs.
- Credit
- 6 points
- Offering
Availability Location Mode Not available in 2025 UWA (Perth) Face to face - Outcomes
Students are able to (1) ) critically assess how restitutionary rights arise in unjust enrichment and how restitutionary rights are affected by defences;
; (2) ) integrate into their analysis of unjust enrichment principles their knowledge of contract, property, torts, trusts and other common law, equitable and statutory concepts and principles, to identify inconsistencies and gaps in the developing law of unjust enrichment; (3) critically assess the legal frameworks applicable to unjust enrichment and restitution law across Australian and overseas jurisdictions, as relevant;
; (4) identify opportunities for judicial and legislative reform of aspects of the Australian approaches in light of those comparisons;
; (5) engage in self-directed legal research to create an autonomous piece of original legal writing on a relevant topic for the unit and
; and (6) communicate clearly in written form an integrated understanding of the complex legal principles, theories and frameworks concerning unjust enrichment law and its relationship to the private law as a whole..
- Assessment
Indicative assessments in this unit are as follows: (1) case analysis and (2) mid semester exam. Further information is available in the unit outline.
Student may be offered supplementary assessment in this unit if they meet the eligibility criteria.
- Unit Coordinator(s)
- Elise Bant
- Unit rules
- Prerequisites
- Enrolment in20820 Juris Doctorand Successful completion of
- Incompatibility
- LAWS3392 Unjust Enrichment and Restitution
Approved quota: 60—nA - Contact hours
- Students must attend every day of the intensive period.
- The availability of units in Semester 1, 2, etc. was correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change.
- All students are responsible for identifying when they need assistance to improve their academic learning, research, English language and numeracy skills; seeking out the services and resources available to help them; and applying what they learn. Students are encouraged to register for free online support through GETSmart; to help themselves to the extensive range of resources on UWA's STUDYSmarter website; and to participate in WRITESmart and (ma+hs)Smart drop-ins and workshops.
- Visit the Essential Textbooks website to see if any textbooks are required for this Unit. The website is updated regularly so content may change. Students are recommended to purchase Essential Textbooks, but a limited number of copies of all Essential Textbooks are held in the Library in print, and as an ebook where possible. Recommended readings for the unit can be accessed in Unit Readings directly through the Learning Management System (LMS).
- Contact hours provide an indication of the type and extent of in-class activities this unit may contain. The total amount of student work (including contact hours, assessment time, and self-study) will approximate 150 hours per 6 credit points.
Face to face
Predominantly face-to-face. On campus attendance required to complete this unit. May have accompanying resources online.
Online flexible
100% Online Unit. NO campus face-to-face attendance is required to complete this unit. All study requirements are online only. Unit is asynchronous delivery, with NO requirement for students to participate online at specific times.
Online timetabled
100% Online Unit. NO campus face-to-face attendance is required to complete this unit. All study requirements are online only. Unit includes some synchronous components, with a requirement for students to participate online at specific times.
Online Restricted
Not available for self-enrolment. Students access this mode by contacting their student office through AskUWA. 100% Online Unit.
NO campus face-to-face attendance. All study and assessment requirements are online only. Unit includes some timetabled activities, with a requirement for students to participate online at specific times. In exceptional cases (noted in the Handbook) students may be required to participate in face-to-face laboratory classes when a return to UWA’s Crawley campus becomes possible in order to be awarded a final grade.
External
No attendance or regular contact is required, and all study requirements are completed either via correspondence and/or online submission.
Off-campus
Regular attendance is not required, but student attends the institution face to face on an agreed schedule for purposes of supervision and/or instruction.
Multi-mode
Multiple modes of delivery. Unit includes a mix of online and on-campus study requirements. On campus attendance for some activities is required to complete this unit.