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

The Legal Studies 11–12 Syllabus enables students to develop knowledge and understanding of the domestic and international legal systems and how they have been shaped over time. Students investigate the key features of the law and understand how the law interacts with aspects of society.

Through the study of Legal Studies 11–12, students:

• develop an understanding of the foundations of law, the criminal justice system, and international relations and human rights
• explore the role of the law in society and how laws are made and changed
• develop an understanding of how the law operates in practice
• develop skills in analysis and reasoning to make judgements about the extent to which the law achieves justice for individuals, groups and society
• construct reasoned arguments supported by a range of evidence.

Year 11 course structure and requirements

The Year 11 Legal Studies course comprises a study of:

• 120 indicative hours across 4 focus areas.

Students are required to study all 4 focus areas of the course.

Changing the law

In this focus area, students examine TWO case studies of law reform:

• the recognition of land rights in NSW and native title for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
• ONE other case study of law reform selected from NSW or the federal level.

Both case studies will draw on the following elements in the process of law reform in NSW and Australia:

• reasons for change
• drivers of change
• processes of change
• outcomes of change.

Case studies must not overlap with or duplicate significantly any content to be attempted in the Year 12 Legal Studies course.

Experiences with the law

In this focus area, students examine TWO case studies of groups that have experience with the law:

• young people
• ONE other group must be selected from:
  • Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples
  • asylum seekers, refugees or migrants
  • LGBTQIA+ people
  • older people
  • people experiencing climate injustice
  • people experiencing economic disadvantage
  • people experiencing issues of equity, discrimination or power imbalance
  • people living in rural, regional or remote Australia
  • people who are culturally and linguistically diverse
  • people with disability
  • people with a mental health condition.

Both case studies must examine:

• the nature of the group’s experience with the law
• ways to access justice
• the responsiveness of the law.

Case studies must not overlap with or duplicate significantly any content to be attempted in the Year 12 Legal Studies course.

Year 12 course structure and requirements

The Year 12 Legal Studies course comprises a study of:

• 120 indicative hours across 3 focus areas
• TWO options.

Options

Students must study TWO options from:

• Consumer law
• Family law
• Housing law
• Peace, conflict and the law
• Workplace law.

Safety and risk management

Schools are required to ensure they follow Loading  in delivering the Legal Studies 11–12 Syllabus. 

The Legal themes and skills offer insight into the nature of the legal system and allow students to engage in the analysis and judgement of the effectiveness of the law in achieving justice. The Legal themes and skills are to be integrated throughout the course.

The Legal Studies 11–12 Syllabus embeds the use of case studies throughout course content. The use of a case study allows students to deepen their understanding of legal concepts and apply their knowledge to different situations.

A case study refers to a real-world example that illustrates a course concept, a specific legal matter, a court decision or the use of legislation. Case studies offer opportunities for students to examine the application and impact of the law. They can be used to explore, compare and contextualise legal concepts. The syllabus specifies in which areas case studies are to be used.

Across Years 11 and 12, the selection of case studies must include a range of examples that are:

• recent and significant
• from Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander experiences
• a mixture of Australian and international.

The Legal Studies 11–12 Syllabus requires students to incorporate a wide range of evidence to inform their understanding and support their judgements. This evidence includes legislation, cases, media, international instruments, documents, expert opinions and statistics.