Course Title: Apply legal principles in contract and consumer law

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term2 2017

Course Code: LAW5732C

Course Title: Apply legal principles in contract and consumer law

School: 650T Vocational Business Education

Campus: City Campus

Program: C6148 - Advanced Diploma of Accounting

Course Contact: Ben Sethia

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 5982

Course Contact Email: ben.sethia@rmit.edu.au


Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Leanne Ryan

leanne.ryan2@rmit.edu.au

Available by email and appointment only.

If you require an appointment, please email the details of your query, times you are available to meet, and a contact telephone number.

I will respond to you as soon as possible to organise an appropriate appointment time.

Nominal Hours: 60

Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites

None

Course Description

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to research, analyse and apply legal principles to provide advice on contract and consumer law implications to clients.

It applies to individuals whose job role involves the application of knowledge of contract and consumer law in the workplace.

Work functions in the occupational areas where this unit may be used are subject to regulatory requirements. This unit is designed to meet educational requirements of the Tax Practitioner Board (TPB). Refer to the FNS Implementation Guide Companion Volume or the relevant regulator for specific guidance on requirements.


National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:

FNSTPB503 Apply legal principles in contract and consumer law

Element:

1. Research legal aspects of contract and consumer law

Performance Criteria:

.1 Identify client's circumstances that require advice on contract or consumer law matters

1.2 Research contract and consumer law and related legislation, regulation and practice

1.3 Identify different types of relevant contract and consumer transactions, and clearly outline their legal context, establishment procedures and purpose

1.4 Identify legal principles applying to contract and consumer matters that are relevant to client circumstances

Element:

2. Analyse legal issues and risks associated with operation of a business

Performance Criteria:

2.1 Identify areas of risk in application of law in contract and consumer matters

2.2 Analyse how legal issues impact on different types of business structures and legal entities

2.3 Evaluate relevance to client circumstances and implication of risks for structure, operation and performance of different legal entities

Element:

3. Apply knowledge of contract and consumer laws to client circumstances

Performance Criteria:

3.1 Collect and collate client's available information for analysis

3.2 Interpret, analyse and process available information to obtain required knowledge applicable to client's circumstances

3.3 Seek advice and guidance of specialist, if required, to interpret, analyse and synthesise client and legal information

3.4 Provide advice to clients based on their circumstances and relevant law

Element:

4. Maintain legal knowledge

Performance Criteria:

4.1 Review client's circumstances and apply any changes in relevant aspects of contract or consumer law

4.2 Review relevant legal sources regularly and apply any changes in daily work

4.3 Access and use systems for keeping up with changes and maintaining up-to-date knowledge about relevant legal aspects of contract or consumer law


Learning Outcomes



Details of Learning Activities

A range of learning activities are planned for this course including self-paced and collaborative classroom based activities.

The self-paced activities will be delivered through various technology platforms and include your contribution to discussion threads, reflective journals, quizzes and interactive sessions.

The collaborative classroom based activities will include group discussion, group problem solving activities and opportunities to practice your skills in a simulated/real workplace environment.

You are expected to participate and contribute in all scheduled learning activities.
 


Teaching Schedule

 The nominal hours associated with this course are a guide only and represent the total teaching time and student effort required to successfully complete the course. This may include not only scheduled classes but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

 

Course Delivery:

    Week Week Commencing Topics                                                             Assessment   
 1 03/07/17

 Introduction to the course, including:

  • Course requirements
  • Course support documents
  • Course Blackboard access
  • Accuracy of enrolment
  • Assessment requirements/Cover sheets
  • Reminder re Plagiarism
  • Reminder re Appeals
  • Extensions/Re submissions
  • Feedback in this course
  • Reminder re submission requirements
  • Getting help
 
 2  10/07/17  Introduction to Law and the Australian Legal  System    Assessment Task 1 Distributed
 3  17/07/17  Introduction to Contract Law; Introduction to  Australian Consumer Law (ACL)   
 4  24/07/17  Misleading and Deceptive Conduct

 Assessment Task 1 Due. You will receive the feedback in week 6. If required, resubmission for this assessment is due by the end of week 7. 

 5  31/07/17  Contract Formation: Agreement and Intention  
 6  07/08/17  Contract Formation: Consideration, Capacity, Legality; illegal contracts  Assessment Task 3 Distributed.
 7  14/08/17  Contract Terms: Express and Implied Terms(Common Law and Statute)

 

 8  21/08/17  Exemption (Exclusion) clauses   
   28/08/17

 Mid semester break

 
 9  04/09/17 Vitiating factors - unconscionability, misrepresentation, mistake, undue influence, duress, capacity  
 10  11/09/17  In class assessment task 2  Task 2 completed in class. You will receive the feedback in week 12. If required, resits for this assessment task will take place in week 15.
 11  18/09/17  Discharge of contracts and remedies  
 12  25/09/17  Law of Agency  
 13  02/10/17  In class working on assessment task 3 - contract and consumer law  
 14  09/10/17 In class working on assessment task 3 - contract and consumer law   Task 3 Due. You will receive feedback in week 15. If required, resubmission for this assessment is due by the end of week 16.
 15  16/10/17 Class discussion, presentations and role plays of contract and consumer law scenarios  
 16  23/10/17  Re-assessments completed  
       

 


Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts

There are no prescribed texts for this course


References

www.asic.gov.au (Australian Securities and Investments Commission)

www.comlaw.gov.au

www.accc.gov.au (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission)

www.accc.gov.au (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission)

Local Newspapers eg., The Age Newspaper, Victoria, Australia

Limbiris, M; Griffin, L. First Principles of Business Law, 2017, Oxford University Press

McCann, P. Contract and Consumer Law, First Edition, 2016

www.consumer.vic.gov.au (Consumer Affairs, including Fair Trading)

www.justice.vic.gov.au

www.justice.vic.gov.au

www.austlii.edu.au (Resource of Australian and international legal materials, including cases and law)

Latimer, P. Australian Business Law, 2016, Oxford University Press

www.australiancompetitionlaw.org


Other Resources

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Overview of Assessment

In order to achieve competency in this unit, you must provide:

Performance Evidence

 Evidence of the ability to:

  • research for any changes to, or new, legislative requirements in relation to contract or consumer law relevant to the client’s circumstances
  • apply current statute, common law and equitable principles in relation to contract and consumer laws that are relevant to the client’s circumstances
  • present a recommendation to the client after considering the client’s circumstances and relevant aspects of contract and/or consumer laws

Knowledge Evidence

To complete the unit requirements safely and effectively, you must:

  • explain the operation of the Australian legal systems and processes relevant to contract and consumer law including:
    • basic principles, current statute, common law and equitable principles
    • roles and responsibilities of key organisations
    • constitutional considerations
    • separation of powers
    • basic principles of contract law
    • basic principles of the law of torts, particularly relating to negligence and negligent misstatement
    • courts and regulatory bodies
  • explain how laws are enacted and their underlying policy aims, and how those laws may be interpreted by existing common law and equitable rules, and apply to property laws
  • examine legal concepts and scope of contract law with reference to:
    • formation – agreement and intention to create legal relations
    • formation – consideration, form, legality and capacity
    • contents – express terms, exclusion clauses
    • contents – implied terms, common law and statute (Commonwealth and state competition and consumer legislation)
    • vitiating elements – unconscionability, misrepresentation, capacity
    • discharge – remedies, including rescission for unconscionable conduct
    • agency
  • describe legal concepts and scope of consumer law
  • misleading and deceptive conduct:
  • function of the Competition and Consumer Act
  • role and jurisdiction of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)

Assessment Conditions

Assessment must be conducted in a safe environment where evidence gathered demonstrates consistent performance of typical activities experienced in the tax and legal fields of work and include access to:

  • office equipment, technology, software and consumables
  • relevant legislation, regulations and codes of practice

You are advised that you are likely to be asked to personally demonstrate your assessment work to your teacher to ensure that the relevant competency standards are being met.

Feedback

Feedback will be provided throughout the semester in class and/or online discussions.  You are encouraged to ask and answer questions during class time and online sessions so that you can obtain feedback on your understanding of the concepts and issues being discussed. Finally, you can email or arrange an appointment with your teacher to gain more feedback on your progress.

You should take note of all feedback received and use this information to improve your learning outcomes and final performance in the course.


Assessment Tasks

Overview of Assessment 

You are required to complete 3 tasks. You must successfully complete all 3 tasks to be deemed competent in this course.

The assessments for this course have been designed to allow participants to apply their learning to particular simulated work scenarios and demonstrate their competence in a variety of ways.

Details about specific tasks and assessment criteria will be included in the Cover Sheets for each task.

 

TASK 1 (Due Date: Week 4 )

For this assessment task you are required to research the way in which laws are made in Australia at both the Federal and State level, with specific reference to the Competition and Consumer Act (Commonwealth) 2010, and the Fair Trading Act (Victoria) 1999. You will be required to write a report that is to be presented to your work colleagues explaining why these laws were enacted and the role of both the Parliament and Courts in the law making process.

 

TASK 2 (Due Date: During class time, Week 10)

For this assessment task you will be required to answer short advice type questions in class, under supervised open book conditions. 

 

TASK 3 (Due Date: Week 14)

For this assessment task you will be required to present a folio/file that contains examples of Acts of Parliament, contracts and recent actions brought before the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. These will be collected over the duration of the semester, and your findings will be presented and discussed with class members

 

 


Assessment Matrix

The assessment matrix that maps all the assessment is available on Blackboard.

Other Information

Submission Requirements

You should:

• Ensure that you submit assessments on or before the due date.
• Always retain a copy of your assessment tasks. (hard copy and soft copy)
• When you submit work for assessment at RMIT University you need to use a cover sheet that includes a declaration and statement of authorship. You must complete, sign and submit a cover sheet with all work you submit for assessment, whether individual or group work. On the cover sheet you declare that the work you are presenting for assessment is your own work. An assignment cover sheet for submission of each assessment task is available on blackboard.
• Each page of your assessment should include footer with your name, student number, the title of the assessment, unit code and title and page numbers. For example, Leanne Ryan, 234567, Task 2, LAW5732C Contract and Consumer Law, Page 1 of 10.


Late Submission Procedures


You are required to submit assessment items and/or ensure performance based assessment is completed by the due dates.


If you are prevented from submitting an assessment item on time, by circumstances outside your control, you may apply in advance to your teacher for an extension to the due date of up to seven calendar days.


More Information: http://www.rmit.edu.au/students/assessment/extension


Form to use: http://mams.rmit.edu.au/seca86tti4g4z.pdf


Where an extension of greater than seven days is needed, you must apply for special consideration. Applications for special consideration must be submitted no later than two working days after the assessment task deadline or scheduled examination. 
  

More Information: http://www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=g43abm17hc9w (unresolved)


Form to use: http://mams.rmit.edu.au/8a5dgcaqvaes1.pdf

 


Resubmissions (VE Programs):


If you are found to be unsuccessful in a particular Course Assessment Task (or you do not submit/attend) you will be allowed one resubmission. Your teacher will provide feedback regarding what you need to do to improve and will set a new deadline for the resubmission. 

If you are still not meeting the assessment requirements you must apply to your Program Manager in writing outlining the steps you will take to demonstrate competence in your course. Your submission will be considered by the Program Team and you will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible.

Re-submissions do not contribute to your overall grad for the course.


Adjustments to Assessment


In certain circumstances students may be eligible for an assessment adjustment. For more information about the circumstances under which the assessment arrangements might be granted please access the following website: 
More Information: http://rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=7usdbki1fjf31

 

Marking Guide (Competency):

You must demonstrate that you have all the required skills/knowledge/elements in the unit of competency you are studying.

You will receive feedback on each assessment task that will inform you about your progress and how well you are performing.


Marking Guide (Grading)

After achieving competency we then grade your performance in the unit and you will achieve one of the following grades:

Final Grades table:


CHD Competent with High Distinction
CDI Competent with Distinction
CC Competent with Credit
CAG Competency Achieved – Graded
NYC Not Yet Competent
DNS Did Not Submit for assessment


Further information regarding the application of the grading criteria will be provided by your teacher.
 

Course Overview: Access Course Overview