1. LAW REFORM Legal Studies 3C

2. REASONS WHY LAWS MAY NEED TO CHANGE Changing values and attitudes in society

3. Changes in society Advances in technology

4. Greater need for protection of the community

5. Greater awareness of the need to protect rights

6. FORMAL & INFORMAL GROUPS Formal Groups Law reform bodies Royal Commissions Commissions of Inquiry Statutory bodies Parliamentary Committees Informal Groups Individuals Political parties Pressure groups Institutions

7.  Law Reform bodies  Australian Law Reform Commission (e.g.: Serious invasions of privacy – inquiry into the protection of privacy in the digital era  Tasmanian Law Reform Institute (e.g.: Bullying, self defence law)  Royal Commission  E.g: current Trade Union Royal Commission (2015)  Commissions of Inquiry  Queensland Floods (2012)  Statutory bodies  E.g.: Sentencing Advisory Council e.g.: suspended sentences  Parliamentary Committees  E.g.: Growing Tasmania’s economy – Select Committee Formal Law Reform groups

8.  Individuals  Mabo case (1992) – Eddie Mabo: case heard in the High Court which lead to the Native Title Act 1993  Political parties  Labor – pledge to legalise same sex marriage if win next election  Pressure groups  Animals Australia – voice for animals  GetUp – social justice, economic fairness, environmental sustainability  Dying with Dignity Victoria -  Institutions  E.g.: Cancer Institute of NSW – smoking laws Informal Law Reform groups

9. METHODS USED BY INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS  Demonstrations – to be successful, a large group of people must show their support for the change in the law.  Media – assist in gaining community support and assisting in alerting law-makers to the need for a change in the law  Petitions – written request to the government for action to a particular law

10.  The Law Reform Process – Clickview (22 minutes)  Page 52 – 77 (blue edition)

11. TOPICAL LEGAL ISSUES TASC Requirements : 2 x topical legal issues researched Each inquiry will result in a formal report (approximately 900 words / 3 pages) that includes:  Identification of current political and legal institutions / processes related to the topic  Identification of differing views on the issues while ensure focus is on legal and political dimensions (and not sociological, economic aspects etc. of the issue)  Assessment of issues through relevant aspects of the nature and function of law, and processes of changing law

12. TOPICAL LEGAL ISSUES  Surrogacy  Digital privacy  The Senate

13. POSSIBLE EXAM QUESTIONS – SECTION D  'The composition of the current Senate has made law reform challenging.' Evaluate this statement making reference to Bills which have come before the Senate in 2015  'Surrogacy laws in Australia have kept pace with social change.' Evaluate this claim with regard to the strengths and limitations of the law reform process.  'The Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Amendments (Data Retention) Act, 2015, passed by the Federal Parliament, will strengthen national security.' Evaluate this claim with regard to the strengths and limitations of the law reform process. Only need to answer 1 question

14. CRITERIA TO BE ASSESSED IN THE EXAM FOR SECTION D  Criteria 1 : Communicate legal and political information  Criteria 3 : Describe and assess Australian law making processes Section D focuses on analysis and any inclusion of descriptive material should be relevant to the argument being presented.

15. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS OF LAW REFORM PROCESS  Strengths and limitations of parliaments as law makers (page 96 – 99)  Strengths and limitations of courts as law makers (page 267 – 270)  Strengths and limitations of formal and informal law reform groups  Clickview “The Law Reform Process”  Page 76 – 77 blue edition