MLL425 - Environmental and Climate Law
Unit details
| Year | 2025 unit information |
|---|---|
| Enrolment modes: | Not offered in 2025 |
| Credit point(s): | 1 |
| EFTSL value: | 0.125 |
| Cohort rule: | For Bachelor of Laws (including combined Law awards) students only |
| Prerequisite: | Nil |
| Corequisite: | MLP325 |
| Incompatible with: | MLJ740 |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment: | 1 x 1 hour on-campus lecture (recordings provided) and 1 x 2 hour on-campus seminar (recordings provided) each week |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - online unit enrolment: | 1 x 1 hour online lecture (recordings provided) and 1 x 2 hour scheduled online seminar (recordings provided) |
| Typical study commitment: | Students will on average spend 150 hours over the trimester undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit. This will include educator guided online learning activities within the unit site. |
Content
Students enrolled in this subject will learn about local, State and Commonwealth laws that regulate activities with potential impacts on the environment. Students will study the statutory process for securing approvals for those activities. Students will also learn about the avenues for challenging decisions and about the mechanisms for enforcing environmental obligations. Study of the law will be complemented by examination of the ethical, scientific, economic, political and social contexts of environmental policy including: the global climate emergency, the international principles of ecological development, environmental policy and climate justice with a specific focus upon wildfire and drought policy and regulation in Australia. Upon completion of the subject, students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of environmental law and their ability to engage in legal reasoning by discussing and solving complex legal problems.
Learning Outcomes
| ULO | These are the Unit Learning Outcomes (ULOs) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: | Alignment to Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) |
|---|---|---|
| ULO1 | Identify and explain the origins and sources of environmental law, the key principles of, and institutions within, environmental law. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
| ULO2 | Identify the core drivers of the global climate emergency and its impact upon the environment. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
| ULO3 | Analyse and critically evaluate the processes by which environmental laws are made and interpreted, and the interplay between politics, policy, science and values in environmental law. | GLO4: Critical thinking |
| ULO4 | Research a problem or specific aspect of environmental law. | GLO3: Digital literacy |
These Unit Learning Outcomes are applicable for all teaching periods throughout the year.
Assessment
| Assessment Description | Student output | Grading and weighting (% total mark for unit) | Indicative due week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment 1: (Group of 2) Report (Research) | 3000 words | 40% | Week 6 |
| End-of-unit assessment: Written | 2000 words | 60% | End-of-unit assessment period |
The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.
Learning resource
The texts and reading list for MLL425 can be found via the University Library.
Note: Select the relevant trimester reading list. Please note that a future teaching period's reading list may not be available until a month prior to the start of that teaching period so you may wish to use the relevant trimester's prior year reading list as a guide only.
Unit Fee Information
Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study and their study discipline, and your study load.
Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.
For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current Students website.