AGE OF CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY LAW102

LAW102 T3 2024 Assignment 3 LEGAL RESEARCH ESSAY (50 Marks)

AGE OF CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY

2000 word limit (excluding headings, footnotes and bibliography)

Object of Assessment & General Instructions

This assignment is a legal research essay and is the culmination of your foundational work in Assignments 1 and 2. The issues and themes that you have processed and analysed in your research to this point will be relevant to the argument that you construct in this essay.

In completing this task, please be mindful that the word limit for this assignment is 2000 words (excluding headings, footnotes and bibliography). The word limit policy is strictly applied.

Please apply referencing conventions in accordance with the Australian Guide to Legal Citation (4th ed) (AGLC4). A bibliography is required for this assessment.

Please follow the set of instructions below which are relevant to your selected topic.

IF YOU ARE WORKING ON THE TOPIC OF AGE OF CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY:

Respond to the following essay question:

Tragically, by not addressing their human rights early on, and instead taking a punitive approach to their offending, we are essentially criminalising some of the most vulnerable children in Australia...

Australian Human Rights Commission, Help way earlier! How Australia can transform child justice to improve safety and wellbeing (2024)

Argue for or against this statement in the context of the law of the age of criminal responsibility in Australia.

In arguing for or against this statement be sure to:

• accurately and succinctly summarise the relevant Australian law (including any current developments or issues in this area);

• draw on concrete examples from that select topic area in support of your argument;

• fairly represent and address the strongest counterarguments against your position; and

• draw on a selection of primary and secondary sources to support your

Though not compulsory, you may also choose to consider the following:

• any relevant international comparisons;


• any relevant historical legal developments which might have impacted the current law/policy and which might be relevant to your argument (either for or against).