LITIGATION AND ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION

Year	No.	Offer	Mode	Description			Cred. Pts
96	52210 	S2  	X 	LIT & ALTERN DISPUTE RESOL	1.00

Contents


STAFFING:

Examiner: D. CAMPBELL
Moderator: M. MAGUIRE
Instructional design: C. COTTMAN

RATIONALE:

This unit is designed to introduce students to both traditional and non-traditional means of resolving disputes. It is intended to provide a framework of relevant legal principles and processes and relate these to the role of a professional adviser coming before the courts in civil proceedings whether as a litigant or as a witness. The unit also examines recent developments in alternative dispute resolution.


SYNOPSIS:

Within the litigation sphere, the unit covers matters such as jurisdiction, procedure, evidentiary rules and remedies in relation to courts and tribunals. (It also examines administrative law when dealing with tribunals.) In the non traditional area, students are introduced to recent developments in alternative dispute resolution, including arbitration and mediation.


OBJECTIVES:

On successful completion of this unit students will be able to:

  1. describe court hierarchy and jurisdictions;
  2. give an overview of civil procedure both at trial and in interlocutory proceedings (for example discovery, subpoenas, privilege, investigatory powers of government agencies);
  3. state important rules of evidence and relate these to the role of an expert witness;
  4. list important tribunals and briefly describe their jurisdiction, relevant rules of procedure and evidence;
  5. apply principles of administrative law to tribunal activities (particularly the Administrative Appeals Tribunal as it deals with taxation matters);
  6. assess remedies available in given causes of action and proceedings and understand principles underlying the awarding of costs;
  7. outline developments in alternative dispute resolution and evaluate their usefulness in given commercial scenarios.

TOPICS:

 Description                                                    Weighting(%)
  1. Courts - jurisdiction and civil procedure (both at 20.00 trial and interlocutory proceedings)

  2. Courts - evidence including role of expert witness 10.00

  3. Administrative law, particularly grounds for appeal 20.00

  4. Tribunals - structure and procedures (eg tax appeals) 10.00

  5. Remedies and Costs 10.00

  6. Alternative Dispute Resolution, including negotiation mediation,30.00 conciliation, arbitration and case presentation


TEXT and MATERIALS to be PURCHASED:

Allars M, 'Introduction to Australian Administrative Law',
Butterworths.

Astor H, & Chinkin C M, 'Dispute Resolution in Australia',
Butterworths.

Latest editions of texts are required.


RECOMMENDED REFERENCE MATERIALS:

USQ IRC Call numbers are included where relevant.

Cairns B C, 'Australian Civil Procedure', The Law Book Company
Limited, 349.9405 CAI.

Forbes J R S, `Evidence in Queensland', The Law Book Company Ltd,
347.94306 FOR.

Waight P K & Williams C R, 'Evidence', The Law Book Company Limited,
347.9406 WAI.

Latimer P, 'Australian Business Law', CCH Australia Ltd, 346.9407 LAT.

Aronson M, & Franklin N, `Review of Administrative Action', The Law
Book Company Limited, 342.94066 ARO.

Hotop S C, 'Principles of Australian Administrative Law', The Law
Book Company Limited, 342.94066 HOT.

Morris G, Cook C, Creyke R, Geddes R, `Laying Down the Law',
Butterworths, 340.07209 LAY.

Tomasic R & Fleming D, 'Australian Administrative Law', The Law
Book Company Limited, 342.9406 AUS.

Bayne P J, 'Freedom of Information', The Law Book Company Limited,
342.940853 BAY.

Burns N R, 'Injunctions; A Practical Handbook', The Law Book
Company Limited, 347.077 BUR.

Tilbury M, Kercher B & Noone M, 'Remedies': Commentary and Materials.,
The Law Book Company Limited, 347.077 TIL.

Tilbury M J, `Civil Remedies' Vols I & II, Butterworths.

(See also the Optional Further Reading list at the end of every module
in the study book.)

Latest editions of the texts are recommended.


STUDENT WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS:

	ACTIVITY				HOURS
Directed Study                                	84
Private Study                                 	64
Assessments                                   	17

ASSESSMENT DETAILS:

No	*F/S	Marks		Due		Description					Wtg(%)		LBL
1 	S 	20.00   	13/09/96	ASSIGNMENT 1                            	20.00   	Y
2 	S 	30.00   	28/10/96	ASSIGNMENT 2                            	30.00   	Y
3 	S 	50.00   	END S2  	EXAMINATION                             	50.00   	N

F=Formative, S=Summative

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

1.  TO GAIN A PASSING GRADE IN THE UNIT A STUDENT MUST:
     a)  obtain a passing mark in aggregate for the unit's assessment
         items, AND
     b)  obtain a passing mark in the formal exam.
     c)  submit genuine attempts for the following MANDATORY items of
         assessment
              ASSIGNMENTS 1 & 2
2.  Students  must  retain  a  copy of all pieces of assessment which
    must be produced if/when required by the lecturer.
3.  LATE ASSIGNMENTS
3.1 All  assessments  submitted  after the due date (and not approved
    for extension)  in  accordance  with  university  policy  will be
    penalised 20% per working day.
3.2 If students  submit  assignments  after  the  duedate and wish to
    claim extenuating circumstances then they shall provide validated
    documentary  evidence  with  the   assignment,   explaining   the
    circumstances.
3.3 The unit  examiner shall  consider  the  statement accompanying a
    late assignment and decide on the outcome.
4. Assignments not  submitted  in the appropriate assignment folders
    will be deemed as not being received.
5.  DISHONEST ACTIONS
5.1 Any student who is alleged to having performed a dishonest action
    relating  to any  assessment  in  the  unit will have a course of
    action   taken  against  him/her  as  outlined  in  the  Academic
    Regulations.  (Regulation 5.8 (21)).
5.2 Pieces of  assessment  should be the work of individual students.
    Joint  pieces   of   assessment   are   not   permitted   unless
    written approval has been obtained from the unit leader.
5.3 dishonest action in relation to assessment includes:
  - copying or attempting to copy the work of others;
  - use of or attempting to use information prohibited from use in
    that form of assessment;
  - submitting the work of another as your own;
  - consciously committing acts of plagiarism,  ie  taking and  using
    another's  thoughts  or  writings  as  one's  own  with intent to
    deceive,  which  occurs  when  paragraphs,  sentences,  a  single
    sentence  or  significant  parts  of  a sentence which are copied
    irectly, are not enclosed in quotation  marks  and  appropriately
    footnoted  or  referenced  in  the text direct quotations are not
    used, but text is paraphrased or summarised,  and  the  source of
    the material is not acknowledged by footnoting or other reference
    in the text.
6.  DEFERRED EXAMINATIONS
6.1 Deferred examinations will be granted at the Dean's discretion in
    the case  of medical or compassionate circumstances having regard
    to item 1.  If  a  deferred examination has been granted students
    shall normally sit the deferred  examination  in  the semester in
    which the  unit is offered, BUT NO LATER THAN THE NEXT SEMESTER 3
    EXAMINATION PERIOD.   If,  for  whatever  reason,  this  deferred
    examination is not taken then the student will be graded `F'.
6.2 Medical  evidence  on  the  appropriate  University  of  Southern
    Queensland  medical  certificate  or doctor's certificate must be
    received by the Faculty Administrator  no  later  than twenty-one
    (21) days  after examination date.  A medical certificate must be
    dated with the same  date  as the period of illness for which the
    absence from examination is being sought and clearly indicate the
    student's name  and, if possible, student  number. (Retrospective
    medical  certificates  will not be accepted for either assignment
    work or examinations.)
6.3 A  student's  medical  condition  must  be  stated  clearly  (IN
    ENGLISH).  (Certificates  stating  a  student  has  a   `Medical
    Condition' will not  be  sufficient  grounds  for  deferment  of
    examination).  Medical  evidence  must cover the student for the
    day(s) of the missed examination(s).
6.4 Requests must  be in writing to the Faculty Administrator clearly
    stating   the  student  name  and  number,  unit  number  of  the
    examination missed  due to illness and current address.  Deferral
    of an examination CANNOT  be  granted on  an existing deferral in
    that unit.
6.5 Students  who  have  a  medical  condition  on  the  day  of  the
    examination  are  advised  to obtain documentary evidence and NOT
    attempt the examination.  If  a  student  makes an attempt at the
    examination, the  assessment item  will be  marked  and  a  grade
    awarded.  In these  cases, a  student  cannot,  after receiving a
    `Fail'   grade,   request   a  deferred  examination  or  special
    consideration.
6.6 Students who have been granted  deferred examinations will not be
    granted a waiver of prerequisites, without  the permission of the
    Heads of Discipline, in subsequent semesters (if they do not have
    a passing grade).
7.  Unit  weightings  of topics should not be interpreted as applying
    to the number of  marks  allocated  to  questions  testing  those
    topics  in  an  examination  paper.   The  examination  may  test
    material already tested in assignments.
8.  Mechanised erasers are not permitted in exam venues.
9.  The examination will be restricted.  Students will be allowed to
    bring a quiet, battery-operated non-programmable calculator into
    the  examination.   Dictionaries  are  NOT  to  be  used  in the
    examination.
10. Students should also refer to the  Faculty of Commerce `Guide to
    Policies and Procedures' section of  the University Handbook for
    further information on the above matters.

This information is accurate as at 02/12/96