Environmental Health Law
Duration
- One semester or equivalent
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.
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
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
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
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 information in detail
- Teaching methods, assessment, general skills outcomes and content.
Teaching methods
- Scheduled face to face: Seminars (9 hours)
- Scheduled synchronous online learning events: N/A
Other non-scheduled learning events and activities: Independent study and assessment tasks (approx. 114 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 |
| Exam | 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 overall mark for the unit of 50% or more, and
(ii) at least 40% in the final exam
(i) an overall mark for the unit 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 44% as the total mark for the unit and will not be eligible for a conceded pass.
General skills outcomes
During this unit students will receive feedback on the following key generic skills:
• Problem solving skills
• Analysis skills
• Communication skills
• Ability to tackle unfamiliar problems
• Ability to work independently
• Problem solving skills
• Analysis skills
• Communication skills
• Ability to tackle unfamiliar problems
• Ability to work independently
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 and references.
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required texts will be made available in the Unit Outline.
References
Reynolds, C 2011 Public and environmental health law, Federation Press, Annandale
Chisholm, R 2012 Understanding law: an introduction to Australia's legal system, 8th edn, LexisNexis Butterworths, Chatswood.
Gans, J 2014 Uniform Evidence, 2nd edn, Oxford University Press, Sydney.
Chisholm, R 2012 Understanding law: an introduction to Australia's legal system, 8th edn, LexisNexis Butterworths, Chatswood.
Gans, J 2014 Uniform Evidence, 2nd edn, Oxford University Press, Sydney.