Types Of Laws

• In Australia, we have both State and Federal laws with the latter applying to everyone in Australia. These laws are divided into Criminal and Civil. Criminal laws are designed to protect people from wrongdoing and can be prosecuted by the police whilst civil laws are designed to solve problems between groups or individuals. Students write their own definitions and examples of criminal and civil law.
• Ask students which of these types of law is the focus for reporting to Crime Stoppers? (Criminal law). To support our democratic values and help safeguard our society, students explain why people should report, through Crime Stoppers, when these criminal laws are broken. (Use this information for formative assessment.)
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people also have Customary Lore. These are lores that have developed over time and are used to regulate behaviour and connect people to each other and the land. They may vary between different Aboriginal groups and, although this is still being debated, they are not considered part of Australian law. Depending on the interest of your student cohort you may wish to explore customary law further through researching websites pertaining to the traditional owners of the land where your school is situated. For example, students in the Perth area would explore the Noongar Lore website.
• Students use the Your Safety: Making It Tougher For Crooks information from the WA Police Force website or Home and Property Information from the Victorian Police Force website and design their own public awareness pamphlet/poster. (Use this information for summative assessment.)

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