SAMPLE
LEGAL STUDIES
Written examination
Day Date
Reading time: *.** to *.** (15 minutes)
Writing time: *.** to *.** (2 hours)
QUESTION AND ANSWER BOOK
Structure of book
Section Number of
questions
Number of questions
to be answered
Number of
marks
A 8 8 40
B 3 3 40
Total 80
• Studentsarepermittedtobringintotheexaminationroom:pens,pencils,highlighters,erasers,
sharpenersandrulers.
• StudentsareNOTpermittedtobringintotheexaminationroom:blanksheetsofpaperand/or
correctionuid/tape.
• Nocalculatorisallowedinthisexamination.
Materials supplied
• Questionandanswerbookof24pages
• Additionalspaceisavailableattheendofthebookifyouneedextrapapertocompleteananswer.
Instructions
• Writeyourstudent numberinthespaceprovidedaboveonthispage.
• AllwrittenresponsesmustbeinEnglish.
Students are NOT permitted to bring mobile phones and/or any other unauthorised electronic
devices into the examination room.
©VICTORIANCURRICULUMANDASSESSMENTAUTHORITY2018
Version2–April2018
SUPERVISOR TO ATTACH PROCESSING LABEL HERE
Victorian Certicate of Education
Year
STUDENT NUMBER
Letter
LEGALSTUDIES(SAMPLE) 2 Version2–April2018
SECTION A – continued
Question 1 (4marks)
Louishasanongoingdisputewithhisneighbour.Theneighbourhassaidthathewillsooncut
downatreeontheboundaryofhisandLouis’sproperties.Louiswantstoseekaninjunctionasa
remedy.
a.
Denetheterm‘remedy’.
1mark
b. Describewhataninjunctionisandoutlineoneofitspurposesinthiscase.
3marks
SECTION A
Instructions for Section A
Answerallquestionsinthespacesprovided.
Version2–April2018 3 LEGALSTUDIES(SAMPLE)
SECTION A – continued
TURN OVER
Question 2 (3marks)
Explainhowcommunitylegalcentresupholdtheprincipleofaccesswhenassistingaccusedpeople.
LEGALSTUDIES(SAMPLE) 4 Version2–April2018
SECTION A – continued
Question 3 (3marks)
Whyistherequirementforstandingimportantforacourttobeabletomakelaws?
Version2–April2018 5 LEGALSTUDIES(SAMPLE)
SECTION A – continued
TURN OVER
Question 4 (4marks)
ExplainhowtheHighCourt’sinterpretationoftheexternalaffairspower,inrelationtointernationaltreaties,
hashadanimpactontheCommonwealthParliament’slaw-makingpowers.
LEGALSTUDIES(SAMPLE) 6 Version2–April2018
SECTION A – continued
Question 5 (5marks)
Betty,a19-year-olduniversitystudent,purchasedapairofrunningshoeslastyear.Bettyhassince
discoveredthatbothshoesarefaulty.ThevendorhastoldBettythatshecannotreturntheshoesandthatshe
cannotreceivearefund.Bettywishestohavethisdisputeresolvedandwantsanalandbindingdecision
thatsheisentitledtoarefund.Betty’sfriendsuggeststhatshetakethemattertoConsumerAffairsVictoria
(CAV).
AdviseBettyaboutwhetherCAVisthemostappropriatebodytohelpherresolvethisdispute.
Version2–April2018 7 LEGALSTUDIES(SAMPLE)
SECTION A – continued
TURN OVER
Question 6 (5marks)
Referringtoonecase,discusshowtheHighCourthasactedasaguardianoftheAustralianConstitutionin
itsinterpretationofsections7and24.
LEGALSTUDIES(SAMPLE) 8 Version2–April2018
SECTION A – continued
Question 7 (6marks)
Evaluatetheextenttowhichthedoublemajorityrequirementactsasacheckonparliamentinlaw-making.
Version2–April2018 9 LEGALSTUDIES(SAMPLE)
SECTION A – Question 8–continued
TURN OVER
Question 8 (10marks)
Discusstheextenttowhichtheuseofajudgeandjuryincriminalandciviltrialshelpsthejusticesystem
achievetheprinciplesoffairnessandequality.
LEGALSTUDIES(SAMPLE) 10 Version2–April2018
END OF SECTION A
Version2–April2018 11 LEGALSTUDIES(SAMPLE)
TURN OVER
CONTINUES OVER PAGE
LEGALSTUDIES(SAMPLE) 12 Version2–April2018
SECTION B – Question 1–continued
Question 1 (17marks)
Source 1
Thefollowingisanextractfromsection5oftheVictorian Law Reform Commission Act 2000(Vic).
Functions of the Commission
(1) ThefunctionsoftheCommissionare–
(a) toexamine,reportandmakerecommendationstotheAttorney-Generalonanyproposalor
matterrelatingtolawreforminVictoriathatisreferredtotheCommissionbythe
Attorney-General;
(b) toexamine,reportandmakerecommendationstotheAttorney-Generalonanymatterthat
theCommissionconsidersraisesrelativelyminorlegalissuesthatareofgeneralcommunity
concerniftheCommissionissatisedthattheexaminationofthatmatterwillnotrequirea
signicantdeploymentoftheresourcesavailabletotheCommission;
Source:Victorian Law Reform Commission Act 2000(Vic),AustralasianLegalInformationInstitute,
<www.austlii.edu.au/>
Source 2
ThefollowingisanextractfromtheVictorianLawReformCommission(VLRC)website.
InMarch2013theCommissionwasaskedtoreviewthreeaspectsofjuryempanelmentforbothcriminal
andciviltrials:
• Whetherjurorsshouldbeidentiedincourtbynameornumber
• Peremptorychallenges(andtheCrownrighttostandasideincriminaltrials)
• Theballotingoffofadditionaljurors.
…
ThejuryempanelmentreportwastabledinParliamenton3September2014.TheCommissionmade
16recommendationstoimprovethewayinwhichjuriesareselectedincourtandhowadditionaljurors
empanelledforlongtrialsshouldbemanaged.
Source:VictorianLawReformCommissionwebsite,
<www.lawreform.vic.gov.au/all-projects/jury-empanelment>
SECTION B
Instructions for Section B
Usestimulusmaterial,whereprovided,toanswerthequestionsinthissection.Itisnotintendedthatthis
materialwillprovideyouwithalltheinformationtofullyanswerthequestions.
Answerallquestionsinthespacesprovided.
Version2–April2018 13 LEGALSTUDIES(SAMPLE)
SECTION B – Question 1–continued
TURN OVER
Source 3
ThefollowingisanextractfromtheParliamentofVictoria’sHansardof20June2017.
Mr SOUTHWICK(Cauleld)–IrisetospeakontheJusticeLegislationAmendment(Court
Security,JuriesandOtherMatters)Bill2017.Aswehaveheard,theoppositionwillnotbe
opposingthisbill.
…
Whenitcomestothisbillandparticularlypotentialjurymemberselection,peoplewillnowbe
calledbyidentifyingnumberratherthanname.Thisissomethingthatcamethroughworkdone
bytheVictorianLawReformCommissioninareportthatwascommissionedbytheprevious
governmentandtabledintheParliamenton3September2014.Herewearein2017actually
bringingthelegislationbeforethehouse…
Source:VictorianParliamentaryDebates,LegislativeAssembly/Council,20June2017,p.1889
a. Explainonewayinwhichsection5oftheVictorian Law Reform Commission Act 2000 (Vic)
restrictstheVLRCfrominuencingachangeinthelawinrelationtojuryselection.
3marks
LEGALSTUDIES(SAMPLE) 14 Version2–April2018
SECTION B – Question 1–continued
b. ExplaintwofactorsthatmayaffecttheabilityoftheVictorianParliamenttoimplementthe
recommendationsmadebytheVLRCinitsjuryempanelmentreport.
6marks
Version2–April2018 15 LEGALSTUDIES(SAMPLE)
SECTION B – Question 1–continued
TURN OVER
c. ‘ThereareotherbodiesthataremoreeffectivethantheVLRCininuencinglawreform.’
Withreferencetoeitherparliamentarycommitteesorroyalcommissions,discusstheextent
towhichyouagreewiththisstatement.
8marks
LEGALSTUDIES(SAMPLE) 16 Version2–April2018
SECTION B – continued
Version2–April2018 17 LEGALSTUDIES(SAMPLE)
SECTION B – Question 2–continued
TURN OVER
Question 2 (12marks)
Afteralengthypoliceinvestigation,Benjiandtwoco-accusedhavebeenchargedwithmurder.
Benjihaspleadednotguilty.HiscommittalproceedingintheMagistrates’Courthascommenced.
Benji’strialisexpectedtolastthreemonthsandseveralwitnessesareexpectedtogiveevidence
atthetrial.TheprosecutionhassaidthattheevidenceagainstBenjiisstrong.Theprosecution
believesthatthetrialwillbestressfulforthewitnessesbutthatthewitnesseswanttoseethat
justiceisachievedatthetrial.
a. Describetherelationshipbetweentheburdenofproofandthepresumptionofinnocence.
3marks
LEGALSTUDIES(SAMPLE) 18 Version2–April2018
SECTION B – Question 2–continued
b. Otherthantodetermineifthereisevidenceofsufcientweighttosupportaconvictionat
trial,explainone purposeofthecommittalproceedinginthisinstance.
3marks
Version2–April2018 19 LEGALSTUDIES(SAMPLE)
SECTION B – continued
TURN OVER
c. ExplainonereasonwhyapleanegotiationwouldbeappropriateindeterminingBenji’scase
andexplainonereasonwhyitwouldnot.
6marks
LEGALSTUDIES(SAMPLE) 20 Version2–April2018
SECTION B – Question 3–continued
Question 3 (11marks)
Emikoisafamousactor.Sometimeago,ajournalistnamedFlavioGozippublishedanonline
articleportrayingEmikoasaliar.Emikoclaimsthatshehasnotbeenofferedanyactingworksince
thepublicationofthearticleandthatshehassufferedpain,humiliationandanxiety.
EmikohasdecidedtosueFlaviointheSupremeCourtofVictoriafordamagingherreputation.
Emiko’slawyerexplainsthattheSupremeCourtofVictoria,whenresolvingthedispute,mayneed
toactasalaw-makeraswellasadisputeresolver.
a. WhyshouldEmikoconsiderthecostsandlimitationofactionsbeforeissuingaproceeding
againstFlavio?
5marks
Version2–April2018 21 LEGALSTUDIES(SAMPLE)
SECTION B – Question 3–continued
TURN OVER
b. WillEmikobeabletogiveevidenceasavulnerablewitnessatthetrial?Justifyyouranswer.
2marks
LEGALSTUDIES(SAMPLE) 22 Version2–April2018
END OF QUESTION AND ANSWER BOOK
c. Explainonereasonwhythecourtmaynotbeabletochangethelawinthiscase.
4marks
Version2–April2018 23 LEGALSTUDIES(SAMPLE)
TURN OVER
Extra space for responses
Clearly number all responses in this space.
LEGALSTUDIES(SAMPLE) 24 Version2–April2018
Ananswerbookisavailablefromthesupervisorifyouneedextrapapertocompleteananswer.Please
ensureyouwriteyourstudent numberinthespaceprovidedonthefrontcoveroftheanswerbook.
At the end of the examination, place the answer book inside the front cover of this question and
answer book.