Why Laws Change

Overview

Students investigate why laws are reformed, using the framework from Chapter 13.1. They apply legal reasoning to contemporary Australian examples and evaluate which reasons are most influential in prompting change.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• explain the main reasons laws may need reform
• distinguish between social, technological, political and legal drivers of reform
• apply evidence to a current or recent Australian law-reform example
• make a justified judgement about the most significant reason for reform

Success criteria

• I can identify and explain at least four reasons for law reform.
• I can use an Australian example to support an explanation.
• I can distinguish between a law becoming outdated and a law being ineffective or unjust.
• I can make a reasoned judgement using legal terminology and evidence.

Curriculum links

• Understanding how Australia’s legal and political institutions respond to changing community needs.
• Analysing causes, consequences and significance in social and civic issues.
• Evaluating different perspectives, values and interests in public decision-making.
• Constructing evidence-based explanations and judgements using appropriate discipline language.

Lesson structure (48 minutes)

1. 0–5 minutes – Hook: “Should every law last forever?” Open with the provocative opening question. Students individually rank the statement “A law should only change when it is clearly failing” from strongly agree to strongly disagree, then briefly discuss their reasoning with a partner. Take two contrasting responses.

2. 5–13 minutes – Explicit teaching: reasons for reform Use the reasons for law reform teaching slides to introduce the key reasons: changing values and social attitudes; technological developments; new circumstances or unforeseen consequences; evidence that a law is ineffective or unjust; pressure from individuals, interest groups and the media; political priorities; court decisions and constitutional limits; and Australia’s international obligations. Emphasise that one reform may have several causes.

3. 13–18 minutes – Modelled legal analysis Display the worked example in the modelled analysis slide. Model how to move from identifying a reason to explaining its effect: “New technology creates conduct not anticipated by existing law; therefore, Parliament may need to clarify rights, responsibilities and penalties.” Briefly use privacy and online safety as an accessible example, without requiring students to know specific legislation.

4. 18–31 minutes – Group case analysis Form six groups of three or four. Distribute the law-reform case analysis worksheet. Each group analyses one scenario, such as technology-enabled offending, changing community attitudes to discrimination, an ineffective criminal penalty, protection of vulnerable people, pressure from a campaign group, or a court decision exposing a gap in the law. Students identify the main reason for reform, a secondary reason, affected stakeholders, and whether reform would improve justice, effectiveness or accessibility. Circulate and prompt students to justify claims rather than merely label them.

5. 31–40 minutes – Jigsaw presentations and challenge One student from each group presents a 60-second explanation. As groups listen, students record the strongest reason for reform in each case on the worksheet. After each presentation, invite one challenge question: “What evidence would Parliament need?” or “Who might oppose this reform?” Use the presentation and challenge prompts to maintain pace.

6. 40–45 minutes – Individual judgement Students respond independently to the question on the individual judgement section: “Which reason for law reform is most significant in Australia? Explain your view using one example and one counterargument.” Require a clear judgement, relevant terminology and a link to the impact on the community or legal system.

7. 45–48 minutes – Plenary and exit check Return to the opening statement using the plenary slide. Students revise their original position if necessary and complete a verbal “because” sentence: “Law reform is necessary when…” Collect worksheets or scan responses for misconceptions. Reinforce that reform involves balancing competing rights, interests, values and practical considerations.

Resources

• the complete Reasons for Law Reform slide deck
• the law-reform case analysis worksheet
• Chapter 13.1 textbook extracts or student notes
• Whiteboard and markers
• Timer
• Six group scenario prompts prepared on the worksheet
• Highlighters or coloured pens

Assessment

• Formative questioning during explicit teaching checks whether students can explain rather than list reasons for reform.
• Group worksheet responses assess identification of causes, stakeholders, impacts and supporting reasoning.
• The individual judgement assesses students’ ability to apply evidence, consider a counterargument and reach a justified conclusion.

Differentiation

• Provide a word bank on the worksheet, including reform, outdated, ineffective, unjust, stakeholder, precedent, rights, values and international obligation.
• Support students who need scaffolding with a partially completed model and sentence starters such as “This law may require reform because…” and “The effect on the community could be…”.
• Allow EAL/D students to rehearse their explanation orally before writing and to use a bilingual dictionary or translated key terms.
• Extend confident students by requiring comparison of two reasons and evaluation of whether Parliament, the courts, pressure groups or the media is most influential in a selected example.