OUTCOME 1

In this part, you will learn to explain the structure and role of parliament, including its processes and effectiveness as a law-making body, describe why legal change is needed and describe the means by which such change can

be infuenced. You will draw on the following key knowledge and key skills to achieve this outcome.

K E Y K N O W L E D G E

This knowledge includes:

• principles of the Australian parliamentary system: representative government, responsible government, and the separation of powers

• the structure of the Victorian Parliament and the Commonwealth Parliament and the roles played by the Crown and the Houses of Parliament in law–making

• the reasons why laws may need to change

• the role of the Victorian Law Reform Commission

• the means by which individuals and groups inflflflfl uence legislative change, including petitions, demonstrations and use of the media

• the legislative process for the progress of a bill through parliament

• strengths and weaknesses of parliament as a law-making body.

K E Y S K I L L S

These skills include the ability to:

• defifififififi ne key legal terminology and use it appropriately

• discuss, interpret and analyse legal information and data

• explain the principles and structures of the Australian parliamentary system

• use contemporary examples to explain the inf uences on legislative change

• evaluate the effectiveness of methods used by individuals and groups to infuence change in the law

• critically evaluate the law-making processes of parliament.