Civics and citizenship / Year 8 / Civics and Citizenship Knowledge and Understanding / Laws and citizens

Curriculum content descriptions

How laws are made in Australia through parliaments (statutory law) and through the courts (common law) (ACHCK063)

Elaborations
  • comparing some examples of statutes and common laws and the way they are made and outlining the hierarchy of these different types of laws (for example, that statutes will override the common law)
  • distinguishing statutory and common law from executive law (delegated law) and identifying how the Houses of Parliament can disallow delegated legislation
  • discussing examples of recent laws passed through parliaments that enact government policy
General capabilities
  • Critical and creative thinking Critical and creative thinking
  • Personal and social capability Personal and social capability
  • Ethical understanding Ethical understanding
ScOT terms

Legislation,  Acts of Parliament,  Bills of Parliament,  Common law,  Legal precedent

Video

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The House In Session, Ep 3: The Westminster system and borrowed traditions

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The House In Session, Ep 2: Secrets of the Parliament House building

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The House In Session, Ep 1: The first day as a Member of Parliament

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Video

The House In Session, Ep 4: The rules that guide the House of Representatives

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Rogue nation, 2009: NSW in 1819, convict gulag or place of opportunity?

This clip is an excerpt from the 2009 documentary 'Rites of passage', the second of a two-part series entitled 'Rogue nation'. The clip begins with historian Michael Cathcart providing contextual information about England in the early 1800s. He says that in the midst of the industrial revolution, millions of people were ...

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Get involved

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BTN: History of voting

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Tour of NSW Government House

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The Australian Dream: Racism

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Online

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This is a resource about the Magna Carta (Great Charter) agreed between King John and his rebellious barons in 1215 and its influence on the development of human rights and democratic freedoms to the present day. The resource consists of: an animated infographic ‘Tell the story’ with hyperlinks to further information; an ...

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NSW Governor Marie Bashir – 2010 speech to students

This resource is a YouTube playlist containing a series of videos from a speech the NSW Governor Marie Bashir gave to senior high school students at Government House in 2010. She speaks on a range of topics, including the Australian system of government, the history of Australia and NSW, and her life. She also answers ...

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The Flip Side of Bike Helmets

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The Australian Dream: History and truths

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