Postgraduate - UnitLAW5416 - Children's rights in Australian law

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2015 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

print version

6 points, SCA Band 3, 0.125 EFTSL

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Level	Postgraduate
Faculty	Faculty of Law
Offered	Not offered in 2015

Quota applies

Postgraduate programs are based on a model of small group teaching and therefore class sizes need to be restricted.

Synopsis

Although Australia has ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, children's rights are arguably still not well protected in Australia. This unit looks at the extent to which Australia is complying with its international obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It does this through analysing domestic laws, policies and practices relating to children's rights at both a state and federal level. Specific issues are analysed including, children in family law, children in juvenile justice, children in child protection and Indigenous children. We consider the ongoing challenges to the full realisation of children's rights in Australia, and what reforms might overcome these challenges.

Outcomes

On completion of this unit students will be able to:

Apply knowledge and understanding of Australian laws and policies pertaining to children's rights, and how these compare to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child with creativity and initiative to new situations in professional practice;
Investigate, analyse and synthesise complex information, problems, concepts and theories in relation to the development of children's rights in Australia;
Conduct research into Australia's approach to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, including its reservations to that treaty and its dealings with the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child; and
Use cognitive, technical and creative skills to generate and evaluate at an abstract level complex ideas and concepts relevant to children's rights in Australia including children in the family law system; children in the juvenile system; children in child protection; and Indigenous children.

Assessment

One research assignment (6,750 words): 90%
Class participation: 10%

Workload requirements

Students enrolled in this unit will be provided with 24 contact hours of seminars per semester whether intensive, semi-intensive, or semester-long offering. Students will be expected to do reading set for class, and to undertake additional research and reading applicable to a 6 credit point unit.

This unit applies to the following area(s) of study

Human rights law