FACULTY of LAW
LAW252 – Foundations of Private Law
Assessment Task: Components of Private Law
Semester 1, 2016
1. Aims of Assessment Task
• to test your understanding of the different components of private law and how those different components have developed over time
• to test your capacity to develop and justify a legal argument
• to test your writing skills
2. Details of the Assessment Task
The Tasmanian Law Reform Institute has considered the issue of ‘problem hedges’ (http://www.utas.edu.au/law-reform). In short, ‘problem hedges’ refers to a situation where a neighbour plants trees or hedges which result in blocking the view or blocking access to sunlight of a neighbour. The hedges or trees may also provide privacy to the person planting. The Law Reform Institute has suggested that legislation be enacted to respond to this issue.
Your assessment task is to consider how, and if, private law should respond to this recent phenomenon called ‘problem hedges’. Which component of private law, if any, is capable of being expanded to provide a legal response to a person harmed as a result of the planting of a spite hedge? Should private law be expanded in this way, or is the problem of ‘spite hedges’ better dealt with through legislation enacted by the state as proposed by the law reform institute?
The assessment criteria are set out in the marking matrix on MyLO.
3. Due Date
The assessment task is to be completed individually and must be submitted on Wednesday April 27 before 12 noon
An application for an extension must be submitted in writing and supported by appropriate documentation (eg medical certificate) to Lynden Griggs. An application for an extension must be made prior to the due date for the assessment task.
Late submission of the assessment task will incur a penalty in accordance with the Law Faculty Procedures Relating to Assessment Submission and Word Length (May 2011).
4. Allocation of Marks
The assessment task is worth 35% of your final assessment in Foundations of Private Law (refer to the Unit Outline).
5. Word Limit and Penalties
The word limit for this assessment task is 1250 words. The word limit is to be calculated in accordance with the Law Faculty Procedures Relating to Assessment Submission and Word Length (May 2011).
Over-length essays will incur a penalty in accordance with the Law Faculty Procedures Relating to Assessment Submission and Word Length (May 2011).
6. Submission Requirements
i. On the due date:
• An electronic version of your assignment must be submitted via the Assignment drop box on MyLO (please ensure that the title of your document (and the document itself) includes your student id number).
Please note further that all assignments will be submitted to ‘Turnitin’ via the assignment drop box on MyLO.
ii. You must maintain a file containing accurate records of your notes and drafts of your essay, able to be submitted on the request of the lecturer.
iii. A professional standard of presentation is required. This means that all assignments should be word-processed, spell-checked, proof read and carefully referenced and footnoted.
7. Academic Referencing and Plagiarism
Students must comply with the Law Faculty Procedures Relating to Written Work (May 2011).
Note, a finding of plagiarism (or other academic misconduct) is a matter that must be disclosed to the relevant admitting authority upon a graduate’s application for admission to practice, and has the potential to prevent or delay admission to practice.