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The course aims to provide a foundation in the skills of legal method, comprising case analysis, statutory interpretation and legal reasoning. It also introduces , and gives a descriptive outline of, the legal systems in New Zealand and England, including the structure of the courts, the sources of law, the classification of substantive law, dispute resolution and legal services.
A successful student will, by the end of the course, be able to demonstrate an understanding of the Aotearoa | New Zealand legal system including the: sources of law, including the role of tikanga Māoristructure of the courtsrole of legal services and contemporary legal institutionsimpact of English law and international lawA successful student will also be able to demonstrate competence in:case analysisstatutory interpretationlegal reasoning; andthe use of Te Reo terms for essential concepts and institutions in the Aotearoa | New Zealand legal system.
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attributes specified below:
Critically competent in a core academic discipline of their award
Students know and can critically evaluate and, where applicable, apply this knowledge to topics/issues within their majoring subject.
Biculturally competent and confident
Students will be aware of and understand the nature of biculturalism in Aotearoa New Zealand, and its relevance to their area of study and/or their degree.
CRJU150
LAWS110
Students must attend one activity from each section.
Tutorials will be held in LAWS101. Information regarding the timetable and tutorial enrolment will be made available via email at the start of the course.
Simon Dorset and Sascha Mueller
Simon Dorset , Toni Collins , Shea Esterling , Karen Scott , Rachael Harris and Liam Grant
Lecturers in the course in recent years have included the above lecturers.
Assessment for 2023 will be confirmed at the start of lectures.Assessment in LAWS101 is subject to the New Zealand Council of Legal Education's Guidelines issued pursuant to the Professional Examination in Law Regulations 2008. The NZCLE requires there must be a final examination that counts for no less than 50% of the final grade for the course. It is likely the final exam in 2023 at UC will count for at least 55% of the course overall.NOTE: Assignments, tests and examinations will be assessed only once. Resubmissions or resits are not permitted.
Morris, Grant; Law alive : the New Zealand legal system in context ; 4th edition; Thomson Reuters New Zealand Ltd, 2019.
R Krever and others; Mastering law studies and law exam techniques ; 8th ed; LexisNexis, Butterworths, Chatswood, 2014.
Ruru, Jacinta et al; The Aotearoa New Zealand legal system : structures and processes ; 7th edition; LexisNexis NZ Limited, 2022.
S Penk & M-R Russell; New Zealand Law: Foundations and Method ; 2nd ed; Thomson Reuters, 2018.
Scragg, Richard J.1948- , Scragg, Richard J; The principles of legal method in New Zealand ; 3rd edition; Thomson Reuters, 2016.
Spiller, Peter; Dictionary of New Zealand law ; [10th edition]; [LexisNexis NZ Limited], 2022.
All recommended texts will be available in the library. Students are not required to purchase texts. The course coordinator will provide an introduction to the recommended texts at the start of the course.
Library portalLearn Course Link
Successful completion of this course (along with its co-requisite LAWS110) makes students eligible for consideration for selection for Laws 200 courses.Students seeking to complete a BCJ degree ONLY (or a BCJ alongside any degree other than the LLB) should NOT enrol in this course or LAWS110. Such students should take CRJU150 and CRJU160. Students seeking to complete a BCJ alongside an LLB should take LAWS101 and LAWS110 and NOT enrol in CRJU150 and CRJU160. First year students in the LLB and/or BCJ can obtain enrolment advice from Te Pātaka | Student Services Hub or the Liaison Office.
Domestic fee $1,737.00
International fee $8,975.00
* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.
For further information see Faculty of Law .