11–12Legal Studies 11–12 Syllabus (2025)

The Legal Studies 11–12 Syllabus aligns with the Law and the Community Life Skills 11–12 Syllabus to provide opportunities for integrated delivery.

Through collaborative curriculum planning, it may be decided that Life Skills outcomes and content are the most appropriate option for some students with intellectual disability.

The Legal Studies 11–12 Syllabus is structured around key legal concepts and structures, the meaning and purpose of justice, and the legal issues that affect individuals, groups and society. In Year 11, students investigate the key processes of Australia’s legal system, from its creation to the current system. In Year 12, students examine the foundations of the domestic and international legal systems, the core principles underpinning the criminal justice system and Australia’s relationships with other countries. Through the selection of options, students learn about specialist fields in the law, including consumer, family, housing, workplace, and peace, conflict and the law.

Figure 1 shows the organisation of Legal Studies 11–12.

Image long description: The 4 focus areas for Year 11 are Investigating the law, Disputes under the law, Changing the law and Experiences with the law. The 2 core focus areas for Year 12 are The criminal justice system and International relations and human rights. The 5 options for Year 12 are Consumer law, Family law, Housing law, Peace, conflict and the law, and Workplace law. Legal themes and Legal skills sit in the middle of the diagram, each surrounded by a box.

NESA is committed to working in partnership with Aboriginal Communities and supporting teachers, schools and schooling sectors to improve educational outcomes for young people.

It is important to respect appropriate ways of interacting with Aboriginal Communities and Cultural material when teachers plan, program and implement learning experiences that focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Priorities.

Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) protocols need to be followed. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ ICIP protocols include Cultural Knowledges, Cultural Expression and Cultural Property and documentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ identities and lived experiences. It is important to recognise the diversity and complexity of different Cultural groups in NSW, as protocols may differ between local Aboriginal Communities.

Teachers should work in partnership with Elders, parents, Community members, Cultural Knowledge Holders, or a local, regional or state Aboriginal Education Consultative Group. It is important to respect Elders and the roles of men and women. Local Aboriginal Peoples should be invited to share their Cultural Knowledges with students and staff when engaging with Aboriginal histories and Cultural Practices.