MLP323 - Constitutional Law
Unit details
| Year | 2026 unit information |
|---|---|
| Enrolment modes | Trimester 2: Burwood (Melbourne), Waterfront (Geelong), Online, Community Based Delivery (CBD)* |
| Credit point(s) | 1 |
| Previously coded as | MLL323 |
| EFTSL value | 0.125 |
| Unit chair | Trimester 2: Professor Dan Meagher Trimester 3: Daniel Goldsworthy |
| Cohort rule | For Bachelor of Laws (including combined Law awards) students only |
| Prerequisite | Before 2019: Students must have passed MLL110 plus 5 additional MLL/MLP coded units From 2019: Students must have passed 2 units from MLL110, MLL113 plus 5 additional MLL/MLP/MLT coded units |
| Corequisite | Nil |
| Incompatible with | Nil |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment | 1 x 2 hour on-campus lecture (recordings provided) and 1 x 1 hour on-campus lecture (recordings provided) and 1 x 1 hour on-campus seminar (recordings provided) per week. |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - online unit enrolment | Trimester 2: 1 x 2 hour online lecture (recording provided) and 1 x 1 hour online lecture (recordings provided) and 1 x 1 hour online seminar (recordings provided) per week. Trimester 3: Pre-recorded lectures up to a maximum of 3 hours per week, and 1 x 1 hour online seminar (recordings provided) per week. |
| Typical study commitment | Students will on average spend 150 hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit. |
Note*Community Based Delivery (CBD) is for National Indigenous Knowledges, Education, Research and Innovation NIKERI Institute students only. | |
Content
The unit aims to provide students with an introduction to the principles of constitutional law at state and federal levels. The content of the executive, judicial and legislative powers conferred by the Australian Constitution and regulated by the Victorian Constitution will be identified; and the core principles of federalism, responsible government and the separation of powers will be examined.
Learning outcomes
Each unit in your course is a building block towards Deakin's Graduate Learning Outcomes - not all units develop and assess every Graduate Learning Outcome (GLO).
| 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 | Explain the nature, scope and limits of the law-making powers of the Commonwealth and State Parliaments. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
| ULO2 | Identify the questions and conflicts that arise between the Commonwealth and the States in the legislative, executive and judicial spheres. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
| ULO3 | Analyse and assess principles of Australian constitutional law and apply to authentic problem situations in the discipline. | GLO5: Problem solving |
Assessment
| Assessment Description | Student output | Grading and weighting (% total mark for unit) | Indicative due week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment 1: (Individual) Online Written Response Test | 2 hours | 40% | Week 6 |
| Examination: Specified resources | 2 hours | 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 MLP323 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.
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)
To fully engage with Deakin's learning experiences, students must be able to access and use internet-connected devices as outlined in computing requirements at Deakin.
To support student success at Deakin, we have a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) learning environment that acknowledges that students and educators bring with them the digital tools they regularly use to complete academic tasks. These tools stay with you beyond the classroom, helping you to keep learning, explore ideas more deeply, and connect with knowledge in ways that matter to you.
Students requiring a loan device should visit our Loan Laptop webpage or students requiring longer-term assistance should visit our Student Financial Assistance webpage.
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.