Legal Studies

Define and correctly use the terms human rights, covenant, treaty, state, sovereignty, convention, multilateral, bilateral, ratification, charter, and bill of rights in legal explanations.

Explain the historical origins, purpose, and underlying principles of the International Bill of Human Rights.

Describe the legal character, principal rights, and influence of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Describe the origins, purpose, and principal rights protected by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Describe the origins, purpose, and principal rights protected by the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Distinguish civil and political rights from economic, social, and cultural rights when classifying factual examples.

Explain state sovereignty, equality, political independence, and territorial integrity with reference to Articles 2.1, 2.4, and 2.7 of the United Nations Charter.

Explain the roles of the United Nations, its agencies, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in promoting and protecting human rights.

Explain how accession, ratification, and reservations affect Australia's international treaty obligations and their translation into domestic law.

Explain how the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011 (Cth) affects federal legislative scrutiny.

Describe the origins, purpose, principles, and protections of the Refugee Convention 1951 and Refugee Protocol 1967.

Describe the origins, purpose, principles, and protections of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination 1965.

Describe the origins, purpose, principles, and protections of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women 1979.

Describe the origins, purpose, principles, and protections of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2006.

Describe the origins, purpose, principles, and protections of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment 1984.

Describe the origins, purpose, principles, and protections of the Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989.

Describe the human-rights principles associated with Magna Carta 1215 and explain its significance to Australian law.

Describe the rights protected and principal operation of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth).

Describe the rights protected and principal operation of the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth).

Describe the rights protected and principal operation of the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth).

Describe the rights protected and principal operation of the Age Discrimination Act 2004 (Cth).

Identify and explain the express rights protected by the Australian Constitution.

Explain how implied constitutional rights and freedoms protect democratic participation in Australia.

Explain how the external affairs power in s 51(xxix) of the Australian Constitution enables Parliament to implement international human-rights obligations.

Explain and analyse the scope and limits of freedom of political communication in an Australian factual scenario.

Explain and analyse the legal protection of protest and freedom of assembly in an Australian or Queensland factual scenario.

Explain and analyse freedom from discrimination and equality under the law in a civil or criminal context.

Explain and analyse the right to democratic representation in the Australian constitutional system.

Explain and analyse legal protection for freedom of religion in Australia.

Explain and analyse the constitutional right to trial by jury and its limitations.

Determine whether an asserted human right is legally protected and enforceable in a given Australian civil or criminal scenario.

Select and justify an appropriate human-rights complaint pathway from protesting, lobbying, lodging a complaint, and commencing tribunal or court action.

Explain how the Australian Human Rights Commission protects human rights through complaint handling, conciliation, education, and advocacy.

Explain how the Australian Law Reform Commission and state or territory law-reform bodies influence human-rights protection.

Analyse how Australian courts protect, interpret, and limit human rights through adjudication and remedies.

Compare how the Queensland Council for Civil Liberties, Human Rights Law Centre, and Australian Lawyers for Human Rights advocate for legal change.

Explain how special-interest organisations, including Amnesty International, church groups, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, influence human-rights outcomes.

Analyse how the media can protect, shape, or undermine human-rights outcomes.

Analyse a Queensland or Australian human-rights case study by identifying the legal issue, applicable law, competing viewpoints, and consequences.

Evaluate a human-rights issue by comparing legal alternatives, applying explicit legal criteria, recommending a response, and discussing its implications.