Environmental Health Law
Duration
- One semester or equivalent
Contact hours
- 9 hours face to face + blended
On-campus unit delivery combines face-to-face and digital learning.
Aims and objectives
This unit aims to develop students’ understanding of legal processes essential to the administration of public and environmental health law with a focus on the Australian context. The unit also aims to prepare students to effectively operate as an authorised officer within the environmental health area of practice.
1. Critically analyse the legislative framework for protecting health and the environment within Australia, with a focus on the Victorian context
2. Articulate the key concepts of Criminal and Administrative law applicable to environmental health practice
3. Assess and appraise the range of options available to seek compliance with Acts appropriate to the environmental health context, identifying the key considerations when gathering evidence
4. Analyse the role of the authorized officers in effectively implementing health and environmental legislation
Unit Learning Outcomes (ULO)
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
2. Articulate the key concepts of Criminal and Administrative law applicable to environmental health practice
3. Assess and appraise the range of options available to seek compliance with Acts appropriate to the environmental health context, identifying the key considerations when gathering evidence
4. Analyse the role of the authorized officers in effectively implementing health and environmental legislation
Unit information in detail
- Teaching methods, assessment and content.
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
Type | Hours per week | Number of Weeks | Total |
On Campus Lecture | 3 | 3 | 9 |
| Online (asynchronous Lecture) | 3 | 9 | 27 |
Unspecified Activities Independent Learning | 9.5 | 12 | 114 |
TOTAL | 150 hours |
Assessment
| Types | Individual or Group task | Weighting | Assesses attainment of these ULOs |
| Online activities (quizzes, discussion forums) | Individual | 20 - 30% | 1, 2 |
| Assignment | Individual | 30 - 40% | 1, 2, 3 |
| Examination | Individual | 30 - 40% | 1, 2, 3, 4 |
As the minimum requirements of assessment to pass a unit and meet all Unit Learning Outcomes to a minimum standard, a student must achieve:
(i) an aggregate mark of 50% or more, and
(ii) at least 40% in the final exam.
Students who do not successfully achieve hurdle requirement (ii) will receive a maximum of 45% as the total mark for the unit.
Content
• Overview of the Australian legal system
• Scope, nature and framework of public and environmental health laws
• Statutory interpretation, procedural fairness, legal liability, establishing entities
• Statutory delegation, powers, penal, offence and defence provisions, elements of an offence
• Achieving compliance, approaches to regulation, role of risk assessment when exercising discretion, alternatives to prosecution
• Role of the authorised officer in evidence collection, powers and procedures of entry
• Evidence, general principals and rules, witness statements and environmental health investigations
• Scope, nature and framework of public and environmental health laws
• Statutory interpretation, procedural fairness, legal liability, establishing entities
• Statutory delegation, powers, penal, offence and defence provisions, elements of an offence
• Achieving compliance, approaches to regulation, role of risk assessment when exercising discretion, alternatives to prosecution
• Role of the authorised officer in evidence collection, powers and procedures of entry
• Evidence, general principals and rules, witness statements and environmental health investigations
Study resources
- Reading materials.
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required texts will be made available in the Unit Outline.