Curtin Business School

School of Business Law and Taxation

Unit Outline
11011 Business Law 100
Semester 1, 2013

Unit study package number: 11011

Mode of study: Internal
Tuition pattern summary: Seminar: 1 x 3 Hours Weekly
This unit does not have a fieldwork component.
Credit Value: 25.0
Pre-requisite units: Nil

Co-requisite units: Nil

Anti-requisite units: Nil

Result type: Grade/Mark

Approved incidental fees: Information about approved incidental fees can be obtained from our website. Visit
fees.curtin.edu.au/incidental_fees.cfm for details.
Unit coordinator: Name: Christian Duperouzel
Phone: +618 9266 7105
Email: C.Duperouzel@curtin.edu.au
Building: 407
Room: 325
Consultation Tuesday 11AM to 1PM and Thursday
times: 10AM to 12PM

Teaching Staff:

Administrative contact: Name: Christian Duperouzel

Phone: +618 9266 7105
Email: C.Duperouzel@curtin.edu.au
Building: 407
Room: 325
Learning Management System: Blackboard (lms.curtin.edu.au)

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Bentley Campus CRICOS Provider Code
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School of Business Law and Taxation, Curtin Business School
Curtin Business School
School of Business Law and Taxation

Acknowledgement of Country
We respectfully acknowledge the Indigenous Elders, custodians, their descendants and kin of this land past and
present.

Syllabus
An introduction to law with a business focus. Students examine the nature and sources of law in Australia. Key aspects
of civil law as they relate to business are explored with a particular emphasis on contract law.

Introduction
Welcome to Business Law 100. We hope that this unit is an interesting and valuable learning experience for you.
Please read this unit outline carefully as it contains important information.
This unit aims to provide you with an introduction to the legal system and an understanding of how law is relevant in
business. In fact, no business transaction can occur without contemplation of the applicable law. The focus of your study
will be on a number of specific areas of the law that arise for consideration in most commercial transactions, whether in
Australia or internationally. This unit also teaches you how to construct a coherent and logical legal argument when
analysing and solving case studies.

Learning Outcomes
Graduate Attributes
On successful completion of this unit students can:
addressed
1 Interpret and apply the basic legal rules and principles arising in the Australian legal system

2 Demonstrate an understanding of the principal concepts and sources of law in Australia to

identify and analyse legal issues
3 Construct a coherent and logical legal argument using the four step process approach

4 Apply relevant legal concepts and principles to analyse and solve case studies

Curtin's Graduate Attributes

Apply discipline knowledge Thinking skills Information skills
(use analytical skills to solve problems) (confidence to investigate new ideas)

Learning how to learn

Communication skills Technology skills (apply principles learnt to new situations)
(confidence to tackle unfamiliar problems)

International perspective Cultural understanding Professional Skills

(work independently and as a team)
(value the perspectives of others) (value the perspectives of others)
(plan own work)

Find out more about Curtin's Graduate attributes at the Office of Teaching & Learning website: otl.curtin.edu.au

Learning Activities
The tuition pattern is a three (3) hour weekly seminar, supported by specified reading and a computer-based tutorial.
The seminar will comprise a one (1) hour interactive lecture, beginning with a revision quiz. The remaining two hours will
be devoted to a case study on that weeks seminar topic, where students will be required to work through the case study
in the class, with assistance from the lecturer and teaching assistants. This structure gives students the opportunity to
learn how to apply relevant legal concepts and principles to analyse and solve case studies and receive feedback from
the teaching staff.
The computer-based tutorial assigned for that week can be completed in the students own time at their convenience.
Should students not have access to a suitable computer, or wish to receive further assistance and feedback on any of
the tutorial topics, the software for the computer-based tutorials has been installed in the computer labs in building 402.
Students will be notified which labs will be staffed by Business Law 100 teaching assistants.

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School of Business Law and Taxation, Curtin Business School
Curtin Business School
School of Business Law and Taxation

Learning Resources
Essential Texts
You will need to purchase the following textbook(s) in order to complete this unit:

Lambiris M and Griffin L, First Principles of Business Law 2013 Edition, CCH, Sydney. Only the original
purchaser of this text is licenced to download and install the computer-based tutorials required for this unit.
Should students purchase a second hand version of the textbook or not have access to a suitable computer, the
software for the computer-based tutorials has been installed in the computer labs in building 402. Students
should be aware that there have been significant changes to the 2013 edition.

Other Resources
Recommended Texts

You do not have to purchase the following textbooks but you may like to refer to them:

Latimer P, Australian Business Law (recent edition); CCH Ltd, Sydney.

Pentony, B; Graw, S; Lennard, J; Parker, D Understanding Business Law (4th edition or later only), LexisNexis,
Australia.

Online Resources

FLECS - Blackboard

The Flexible Learning Environment for Curtin Student (FLECS-Blackboard) is provided for all Curtin students. Access is
via OASIS (http://oasis.curtin.edu.au) under the my studies tab.

After you have carefully read through this outline, make sure that you:

Listen to the introductory Vodcast (located in the Unit Resources section on Blackboard) titled, How to use
Business Law 100 course materials.
Download the computer-based tutorials you will have to complete each week. Instructions on installing your
interactive tutorials are provided on page vi of the First Principles of Business Law (FPBL) textbook (just before
the contents page). If you have any problems downloading this software please contact the publisher at
alcware@netro.com.au or the trouble shooting page at www.ALCware.com.
Remember:
The software is copy-protected and you can only install it on one computer, so make sure you
install it on a computer you will have access to for the whole semester. After installing the software,
check that everything works and then follow the on-line prompts to register your installation.
Do NOT reformat your computer after installation. If you reformat, you will lose your registration
and when you reinstall the FPBL software you will need a new registration number (the old one
wont work). This may mean buying a new license.

Work through the weekly Lecture Outlines, case studies and PowerPoint slides and listen to the iLecture for each
topic. You may wish to save the Lecture Outlines and/or the PowerPoint slides to your own computer, or print
them out week by week. If you chose not to attend the seminar, work through the weekly Lecture Outlines, Case
studies and PowerPoint slides and listen to the iLecture for that topic.
Complete the prescribed readings from the FPBL textbook for the topic as indicated in the Programme Calendar.
Remember that there are legislative extracts at the end of the textbook which should also be read as they arise in
each topic.
Work through the computer-based tutorial for each topic to ensure you have properly understood the materials.
Regularly check Blackboard for announcements. There is also a large amount of additional resources on this
site, including quizzes, links and FAQs to assist your learning. In particular, the discussion board is staffed by a
teaching assistant during the week.

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School of Business Law and Taxation, Curtin Business School
Curtin Business School
School of Business Law and Taxation

Assessment
Assessment Schedule
Unit Learning
Task Value % Date Due Outcome(s)
Assessed
Assignment One 20 percent Week: 4 1,2
1 Day: Thursday
Time: 16:00
Assignment Two 30 percent Week: 10 1,2,3
2 Day: Thursday
Time: 16:00
Final Examination 50 percent Week: Centrally 2,3,4
3 scheduled
examination
Detailed information on assessment tasks

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Bentley Campus CRICOS Provider Code
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School of Business Law and Taxation, Curtin Business School
Curtin Business School
School of Business Law and Taxation

1. Assignment One (20 marks)

Assignment One will comprise of two (2) parts as follows:
PART A: Media report analysis (8 marks)
Students are required to select a media report from the choice of reports provided on Blackboard under the
assessment folder. Students are required to identify and analyse the legal issues arising in their chosen report.
Students need to apply the same criterion that was used in the Topic 1 case study, The Coffee Shop, to their
chosen media report. This means you need to use your issue identifying skills to assess and analyse the legal
issues that arise in the article as follows:
1. Identify aspects of your chosen media report that relate to the law with reference to the areas of law listed
in Chapter 1 of the FPBL textbook. Not all of these areas of law will be relevant, but each article involves
at least two areas of law. Students should not just provide a bare conclusion, but also explain why that
particular area of law is relevant. (2 marks)
2. The law has various functions. It:
- Allows people to organise and plan.
- Encourages or discourages particular activities.
- Creates rights and duties that can be enforced; and
- Provides remedies when rights are interfered with or duties are not discharged.
Demonstrate how the law functions in these various ways with reference to specific examples within your
chosen media report and the areas of law you identified in question 1. You need only provide one
example per point. However, you must discuss all four of these functions. Where possible, each point
should use a different area of law as illustration. Be sure to explain specifically how and why you came to
this conclusion. (4 marks)
3. With reference to the legal issues reported on in the chosen media report describe why is it important to
know the law in these circumstances? (2 marks)

Remember that there are annotated exemplars available on Blackboard to assist with your understanding of what
is expected for this part of the assignment.
PART B: Case analysis (10 marks)
Students will be provided with an extract from a reported decision (i.e. a real case decided by a judge) on
Blackboard under the 'Assessment' folder. After reading and examining the decision, students will be required to
answer a series of questions demonstrating their ability to comprehend and apply their knowledge of topic two in
the analysis of the reported decision. Each question will have clearly allocated marks, amounting to a total of 10
marks.
PLEASE NOTE: The analysis required for Part B must pertain to the reported case extract, NOT to the media
report required for Part A. A student who analyses the Part A media report in the manner required by Part B shall
receive a mark of zero for Part B of the assignment.
Presentation (2 marks)
1. Cover sheet (located on Blackboard under the 'Assessment' folder)
2. Introduction to answers, content of body and concluding comments
3. Appropriate sentence structure
4. Correct grammar, spelling and punctuation
5. Paragraph size and breaks appropriate
6. Consistent format
7. Appropriate use of headings and sub-headings
8. Within acceptable word limit
9. Appropriate referencing and acknowledgment of sources
Word Limit
The assignment should be a minimum of 500 words and not exceed 2000 words inclusive of both questions (i.e.
2000 maximum in total). Please provide a word count on your cover sheet. A penalty of 10% will be imposed on
assignments that exceed the word limit. The assignment will not be assessed if it exceeds 3000 words and
will result in a ZERO mark.
Assignment One must be submitted by 4PM WST on the Thursday of the week due, i.e. Thursday, 28
March 2013.
Your grade and markers response and feedback will be provided by way of an audio voice file available
on My Grades on Blackboard.

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Bentley Campus CRICOS Provider Code
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School of Business Law and Taxation, Curtin Business School
Curtin Business School
School of Business Law and Taxation

2. Assignment Two (30 marks)

Assignment Two will comprise of two (2) parts as follows:
PART A: Four Step Process (25 marks)
Students will be provided a case study about which they will be required to construct a coherent and logical legal
argument using the four step approach. The assignment will require students to apply relevant legal concepts
and principles to analyse and solve the legal issues arising in the case study by explaining and applying their
knowledge of the legal principles and rules arising in Australian legal system: Topic three to five inclusive.
Please note also that the information contained in the course materials (the textbook, computer-based tutorials
and seminar materials) are sufficient when completing your assignments. It is not necessary to research beyond
these materials for the purpose of completing assignments.
Marking Criteria
Students are assessed on their ability to explain and apply their knowledge of the relevant principles and rules of
law using the four step process. Briefly that process is:
1. Identify the legal issue
2. Explain the relevant rule/s of law using authority: cases and/or legislation
3. Apply the law to the facts
4. Reach a conclusion

Marking Rubric: The case study will be made up of two (2) questions (a) and (b). Each will be worth 10 marks. A
further five (5) marks are allocated to how well the student has followed the four step process.

STEP ONE No marks specifically (as this is usually stated in the

question)
Identify the legal issue

STEP TWO 6 marks available

Explain the rule(s) of law with reference to relevant
authority is the most important step

STEP THREE 4 marks available

The rules of law explained must be specifically applied to
the facts so a solution can be found

STEP FOUR No marks specifically available

A logical conclusion should flow from the above steps

OVERALL USE OF THE FOUR STEP PROCESS AND 5 marks available

STRUCTURE OF ANSWER

PART B: Short Answer (5 marks)

One short answer question, worth 5 marks. This question will not necessarily relate to the case study. Part B will
examine topic 3 inclusive.
Word Limit
The assignment should be a minimum of 500 words and not exceed 2500 words inclusive of both questions (i.e.
2500 maximum in total). Please provide a word count on your cover sheet. A penalty of 10% will be imposed on
assignments that exceed the word limit.The assignment will not be assessed if it exceeds 3500 words and
will result in a ZERO mark.

Assignment Two must be submitted by 4PM WST on the Thursday of the week due, i.e. Thursday, 9 May
2013.
Your grade and markers response and feedback will be provided by way of an audio voice file available
on My Grades on Blackboard.

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Bentley Campus CRICOS Provider Code
23 Jan 2013 WA 00301J, NSW 02637B
School of Business Law and Taxation, Curtin Business School
Curtin Business School
School of Business Law and Taxation

3. Final examination (50 marks)

The examination builds on students critical thinking skills and discipline specific knowledge learnt in the
computer-based tutorials and case studies in the seminars. Students are required to apply relevant legal
concepts and principles to analyse and solve the case study by explaining and applying their knowledge of the
legal principles and rules arising in topics 5 to 10. The questions are structured as follows:

PART A: Four Step Process (15 marks)

One four step process question based on the facts of one of the case studies. Students construct a coherent
and logical legal argument using the four step approach for this question, worth 15 marks. The marking rubric
for this question will be the same as the four step process question in assignment two.
Approximately a week before the final examination is to sit, students will be provided with a handout, that will be
posted to FLECS-Blackboard, as an aid to their preparation for the final examination.
PART B: Applied Case Study (20 marks)
40 Multiple choice questions worth 20 marks (one half mark per question). Students are presented with a
case study and required to apply relevant legal concepts and principles to analyse and solve the case study by
applying their knowledge of the legal principles and rules arising and selecting the best answer in a multiple
choice format. The case study for Part B is different to the case study detailed in Part A.
PART C: Short Answer (15 marks)
Three short answer questions, worth 15 marks in total, each question worth 5 marks each. These
questions will not necessarily relate to the case studies.
Students are provided with further guidance for their preparation for the final examination throughout the
semester and in the revision week. In particular, students will be advised of the specific topics each question
draws upon.

Students should understand that compliance with instructions in relation to an assessment task is
critical. In business it is essential you act on instructions given by clients. In this unit instructions
typically relate to matters such as how to correctly complete a piece of assessment. Students MUST be
aware that non compliance with these instructions can result in a ZERO mark.

Fair assessment through moderation

Moderation describes a quality assurance process to ensure that assessments are appropriate to the learning
outcomes, and that student work is evaluated consistently by assessors. Minimum standards for the moderation of
assessment are described in the Assessment Manual, available from
policies.curtin.edu.au/policies/teachingandlearning.cfm

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Bentley Campus CRICOS Provider Code
23 Jan 2013 WA 00301J, NSW 02637B
School of Business Law and Taxation, Curtin Business School
Curtin Business School
School of Business Law and Taxation

Late Assessment Policy

Late Assessment Policy

This ensures that the requirements for submission of assignments and other work to be assessed are fair, transparent,
equitable, and that penalties are consistently applied.

1. All assessments which students are required to submit will have a due date and time specified on the Unit
Outline.
2. Accepting late submission of assignments or other work will be determined by the unit coordinator or Head of
School and will be specified on the Unit Outline.
3. If late submission of assignments or other work is not accepted, students will receive a penalty of 100% after the
due date and time ie a zero mark for the late assessment.
4. If late submission of assignments or other work is accepted, students will be penalised by ten percent per
calendar day for a late assessment submission (eg a mark equivalent to 10% of the total allocated for the
assessment will be deducted from the marked value for every day that the assessment is late). This means that
an assignment worth 20 will have two marks deducted per calendar day late. Hence if it was handed in three
calendar days late and marked as 12/20, the student would receive 6/20. An assessment more than seven
calendar days overdue will not be marked. Work submitted after this time (due date plus seven days) may
result in a Fail - Incomplete (F-IN) grade being awarded for the unit.

Pass requirements
The marks are cumulative, so students do not need to pass each assessment task, but must achieve a total of 50 or
more to pass this unit. Detailed information on each assessment item is available on Blackboard in the Assessment
section.

Referencing style
Students should use the Chicago referencing style when preparing assignments.
More information can be found on this style from the Library web site: library.curtin.edu.au.

Plagiarism
Plagiarism occurs when work or property of another person is presented as one's own, without appropriate
acknowledgement or referencing. Plagiarism is a serious offence. For more information refer to
academicintegrity.curtin.edu.au.

Plagiarism Monitoring
Work submitted may be subjected to a plagiarism detection process, which may include the use of systems such as
'Turnitin'. For further information, see academicintegrity.curtin.edu.au/students/turnitin.cfm.

Additional information
Guidelines for Submission of Assignments
All assignments must be accompanied by an Assignment Attachment Form (or cover page). This Assignment
Attachment Form is located on Blackboard under the 'Assessment' folder.
All assignments must be submitted by 4pm WST on the Thursday of the week due.
The assignment questions are located on Blackboard in the Assessment folder. You are required to submit two
assignments for assessment.
Students will also be required to submit their assignment to the plagiarism detection programme, Turnitin. Instructions
on the submission process will be posted to Blackboard at the beginning of semester, including the appropriate way to
save your file.

Format of assignments
Assignments cannot be handwritten and must comply with the following format requirements. Those assignments,
which do not conform to these requirements without prior agreement of the unit coordinator, will either be returned to the
student unmarked or will have marks deducted:

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School of Business Law and Taxation, Curtin Business School
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School of Business Law and Taxation

Document type: Word or pdf (pdf preferred)

Font: Arial or similar font - no smaller than 12 point in size
Pages: Numbered in top or bottom margin
Spacing: Appropriate line spacing and paragraph spacing
Margins: At least 2.5 cm top, left, right & bottom

The document must be checked for spelling and grammar before submission.

Assignment Marking
Students should allow a 10 day marking turnaround for assignments from the due date. Assignments submitted early
will not be marked before the due date.

Extension of Assessment due dates

Extensions of assessment are only granted in extenuating circumstances such as illness. The granting of an
extension or modification of assessment in accordance with University policy requires appropriate supporting
documentation, such as a medical certificate.
Extenuating circumstances do NOT include holidays, family celebrations such as weddings, moving house or poor time
management. These are not valid reasons and are not accepted as grounds for an extension.
The extension period will be a maximum of seven (7) calendar days from the due date and time. The application form for
an extension is available through your Oasis account and must be sent to the Unit Coordinator. Details of any extension
granted must be attached to the relevant assignment.
Please contact the unit coordinator regarding an application for extension.

It is your responsibility to check due dates. Allowances will not be made for students who submit their assignment late
as a consequence of confusing the due date for the assignment with another date.

Supplementary/Deferred Final Examination:

STUDENTS PLEASE NOTE: End of semester Final Examination deferrals are all handled by CBS Student Services
and NOT your unit controller. If for any reason you cannot sit your final examination, you must see CBS Student
Services in Building 407, Level 1.
Enrolment:
It is your responsibility to ensure that your enrolment is correct - you can check your enrolment through the eStudent
option on OASIS, where you can also print an Enrolment Advice.
Supplementary/Deferred Exams:
Supplementary and deferred examinations will be held at a date to be advised. Notification to students will be made
after the Board of Examiners meeting via the Official Communications Channel (OCC) in OASIS. It is the student's
responsibility to check their OASIS account on a weekly basis for official Curtin correspondence. If your results show
that you have been awarded a supplementary or deferred exam you should immediately check your OASIS email for
details.

Student Rights and Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of every student to be aware of all relevant legislation, policies and procedures relating to their
rights and responsibilities as a student. These include:

the Student Charter

the University's Guiding Ethical Principles
the University's policy and statements on plagiarism and academic integrity
copyright principles and responsibilities
the University's policies on appropriate use of software and computer facilities

Information on all these things is available through the University's "Student Rights and Responsibilities website at:
students.curtin.edu.au/rights.

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School of Business Law and Taxation, Curtin Business School
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School of Business Law and Taxation

Disability
Students with a disability or medical condition (e.g. mental health condition, chronic illness, physical or sensory
disability, learning disability) are encouraged to seek advice from Disability Services www.disability.curtin.edu.au. A
Disability Advisor will work with you and liaise with staff to identify strategies to assist you to meet unit (including
fieldwork education) and course requirements, where possible. It is important to note that the staff of the university may
not be able to meet your needs if they are not informed of your individual circumstances.

Recent unit changes

We welcome feedback as one way to keep improving this unit. Students are encouraged to provide unit feedback
through eVALUate, Curtin's online student feedback system (see evaluate.curtin.edu.au/info/). Recent changes to this
unit include:

Continual renewal of the unit materials and curriculum to ensure materials are up to date with significant changes
to the law whilst remaining commercially focused.
The computer-based tutorials continue to meet students requests for more immediate feedback and flexibility in
learning. The package of materials respects students desire for value for money as all of the materials are
integral to the learning process and assessment.
Ongoing evaluation of the format of the tuition pattern (three hour seminar) and feedback from students indicates
the preference of the majority of students for continuation of this method of delivery, both in terms of their
learning experience and for reasons of convenience and efficiency. The ability of students to seek individual
assistance is maintained by the presence of teaching assistants in the seminar, in the staffed labs and on
discussion board.
A more interactive style of delivery of the course material has been developed by the use of a weekly two hour
case study, revision sessions and computer-based tutorials.
Use of audio feedback files for written assessment tasks to improve the quality and detail of feedback given.

See evaluate.curtin.edu.au to find out when you can eVALUate this unit.

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School of Business Law and Taxation

Program calendar
Program Calendar Semester 1 2013
Week Begin Date Lecture/ Pre-readings Tutorial/Other Assessment
Due
Seminar
Orientation 25 February

1. 4 March 1. Introduction: Chapter 1 Government and

The nature and Law in Australia
function of law

2. 11 March 2. Sources of law: Chapter 3 Case Law

Case Law

3. 18 March 3. Sources of law: Chapter 2 Legislation

Legislation

4. 25 March 4. Making a Chapter 5 Making a contract Assignment One

contract (20%) THURSDAY
28 MARCH 4PM
(WST)

5. 1 April Tuition Free Week

6. 8 April Writing workshop:

Four Step Process

7. 15 April 5. Contents of a Chapter 6 Contents of a

contract contract

8. 22 April Tuition Free Week

9. 29 April 6. Performance Chapter 7 Performance and

and Breach breach of contract

10. 6 May 7. Remedies Chapter 8 Remedies for Assignment Two

breach of contract (30%) THURSDAY
9 MAY 4PM
(WST)

11. 13 May 8. Australian Chapter 10 Consumer

Consumer Law protection in
Australia

12. 20 May 9. Liability in tort Chapter 13 The scope of tort

law law

13. 27 May 10. Business Chapter 15 Business

Organisations organisations in
Australia

14 3 June 11. Revision Case studies for

revision

15. 10 June Study Week

16. 17 June Examinations

17. 24 June Examinations

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Bentley Campus CRICOS Provider Code
23 Jan 2013 WA 00301J, NSW 02637B
School of Business Law and Taxation, Curtin Business School