Unit 3 AOS 1 - Parliament and the citizen

Key knowledge

• principles of the Australian parliamentary system: representative government, responsible government, and the separation of powers
• the structure of the Victorian Parliament and the Commonwealth Parliament
• the roles played by the Crown and the Houses of Parliament in law-making
• the reasons why laws may need to change
  
• the role of the Victorian Law Reform Commission
  
• the means by which individuals and groups influence legislative change, including petitions, demonstrations and use of the media
• the legislative process for the progress of a bill through parliament
  
• strengths and weaknesses of parliament as a law-making body.
  

Key skills

• define key legal terminology and use it appropriately
  
• discuss, interpret and analyse legal information and data
  
• explain the principles and structures of the Australian parliamentary system
  
• use contemporary examples to explain the influences on legislative change
  
• evaluate the effectiveness of methods used by individuals and groups to influence change in the law
• critically evaluate the law-making processes of parliament.