1. Changing the Law
AOS 1B: Students explore the factors that may influence parliament in bringing about changes in the law by examining the role that individuals and groups may play.

2. The reasons why laws need to change
Think of the changes in the community in the last 100 years. How has our opinion towards, say, marriage changed? How might this have impacted on laws?
Examples include:
Indigenous rights (1967 Referendum),
rights of children (they used to be considered property!)
_________________________ 2008
Sometimes law makers can ____________/___________ these changing values- i.e Victorian Charter of Human Rights, Racial and Religious Tolerance Act

3. The reasons why laws need to change
2. ___________________
Examples include new tax systems, ie GST, Global Financial Crisis, Carbon Tax, Flood Levy to assist with the cost of natural disasters.
3. __________________________
Difficult to keep up with advances in technology as they occur so rapidly.
Examples include:
policies that ban the use of mobile phones in changing rooms
policies against ‘sexting’ ‘cyber bullying’
Prohibition of Human Cloning for Reproduction Act 2002
Infertility Treatment Amendment Act (2007)

4. The reasons why laws need to change
4. Political values and circumstance/___________________________
Anti-terror laws, refugee detention centres, republic/monarchy , NT intervention
5. _____________________________
People are better educated and informed of their rights=_____________________________________________
increased concern with individual rights, more aware of the dangers (ie __________________________________________)

5. The reasons why laws need to change
The legal system- enhancing its_________, increasing access, meeting our _________________________
Particular cultural/social needs (i.e. ___________________)
access to justice (i.e. _______________________________)
active protection of rights (i.e. Victorian Charter of Human Rights)
increasingly ____________ society (i.e. duty of care, negligence, public liability)

6. Pressure to change the laws
Informal Pressures
Come from ___________ the law-making process
Individuals
___________________
(GetUp! Right to Life, Pro-choice groups)
Interest groups
Industry groups
Professional groups

7. Pressure to change the laws
Direct lobbying ( i.e. ask an M.P)
Petitions
Media
____________
____________/__________________
Submissions
Demonstrations
Civil disobedience
Political action (voting, standing for election)
Court Decisions

8. Petitions
A _______,_________request to the government for action in relation to a particular that is considered outdated or unjust
Usually a list of ___________ from supporters
Usually forwarded on to local MP to present in _______________
Only needs ______ signature to be accepted- but obviously the more signatures, the ______________
__________________in the community and the more likely MPs will take the issue into consideration

9. Petitions Some rules apply. A petition must:
Be addressed to only _____________of parliament
Refer to a matter that is _____________
________________to address
State the _______
Contain a ________________________
Can be presented to any MP (doesn’t have to be the local member for the group)
An Epetition is a petition signed online. They can get more signatures due to being ______
____________________________________.

10. Petitions: weaknesses
Can be ______________,___________ and ________________ exercises
Although tabled, it is not clear the degree to which petitions influence parliament- parliament may (and often does!) ______________________and not change the law
Do not generally attract much ______
_______________, so not as effective in raising awareness of the issue in the general community.

11. Demonstrations/Protests
Demonstrations are _____________________
_________________________, held in a public place that are designed to show their support for a change in the law.
_________________
Example:
Demonstration against ____________________ February 2010
New changes to liquor laws resulted in increased licensing fees and greater security requirements for pubs and clubs with live amplified music. This resulted in some small live music venues being run out of business, most notably the TOTE in Collingwood

12. Demonstrations: weaknesses
Can be ____________________,__________ and _______________ to organise.
Relies on the support of ___________
_________________ to be effective.
May ________________ members of the public due to road closures etc
Parliament may ___________them as vocal minority groups and not change the law

13. The Media The Media has a VITAL role- good and bad
Without media coverage:
Law-makers can’t _________________________
(more cynically perhaps) law- makers won’t stand up and _________________
Individuals and groups can’t inform law-makers of change in values and attitudes
Other people can’t ___________and join the cause
Getting an issue in the media means getting an issue on the (public/political) agenda. This is so important that organisations actually pay people/firms to do this for them! (PR)

14. The Media
Newspapers:
Should be ____________- should show both sides of the debate
Letters to the editor/editorials can be more ______________
Can alert law-makers of the need to __________________

15. The Media Radio Talkback ‘shockjocks’ Often very __________________
Can be _____________________than a newspaper as it has the potential to __________________________.
Neil Mitchell of 3AW ( a prominent Melbourne radio station) was influential in bringing about the issue of the need for the mandatory reporting of child abuse. He kept pursuing the matter until Parliament changed the law.

16. The media
Television:
Programs can ___________________________ and inform the community of injustices and the need for change in the law.
Can be more influential in public opinion than newspapers (___________________________).
Also, ____________ can have a huge effect on public opinion due to the ___________ element of visuals
(Four Corners report on live animal exports in 2011 led to the massive GetUp! Campaign and subsequent changing of the law)

17. Social Media
Technology has revolutionised communications in the 21st Century.
New platforms means groups can communicate on a ____________________.
Social networking media such as Facebook and Twitter have been used by political activists to _______________________________________.
Eg Occupy Melbourne

18. Media: weaknesses
May present _____________reporting of an issue, rather than informing the public and parliament of ________________of a debate
May _________________________on an issue in the community, which could work against law reform.