Maintains the emphasis on context and skills as keys to understanding law in its practical operation. Within this framework, the new edition expands and updates existing material by reference to a range of important contemporary issues and cases.

Principles and practice of the Australian legal system.

What is the ‘rule of law'? How do laws get made? Does our legal and political system achieve justice for all Australians equally? Designed for beginners as well as non-law students, this textbook provides a comprehensive and accessible guide to understanding Australia's system of law and government. Law in Australian Society explains legislation and case law, courts, and the doctrine of precedent. Keiran Hardy examines the roles played by parliaments, politics, and the media. He explains founding principles, including democracy, liberalism, the separation of powers, and federalism. Human rights and justice are highlighted, with an emphasis on First Nations Peoples and the law. The book explains criminal responsibility and the justice system, including police powers and the criminal trial. It concludes with case studies of cybercrime and counterterrorism laws to illustrate law reform in action. This second edition has been fully updated throughout, including recent legislation, cases, and topical issues from Australian law and politics, including from the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent referendum on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. Each chapter features practical examples, chapter summaries and review questions together with a glossary of key terms. Concise, accessible and up-to-the-minute, this is a vital guide for anyone seeking to understand Australian law and government.

This book details the impact, and potential impact, of human rights law in the major areas of Australian legal practice - criminal law, administrative law, constitutional law, immigration law, family law, labour law, environmental law, etc. It also includes chapters on researching human rights laws and using them in litigation.

Migration and refugee law and policy is fundamentally concerned with the choices that we as a nation make regarding the people that we allow into our community and to share our resources. Migration and Refugee Law: Principles and Practice in Australia 2nd Edition provides an overview of the legal principles governing the entry of people into Australia. The 2nd edition encompasses legislative amendments and significant judicial decisions to 2007. As well as dealing with migration and refugee law today, the book analyses the policy and moral considerations underpinning this area of law. This is especially so in relation to refugee law, which is one of the most divisive social issues of our time. The book suggests proposals for change and how this area of law can be made more coherent and principled. This book is written for all people who have an interest in migration and refugee law.