Overview
Examines the ways in which New Zealand’s system of law-making both shapes, and is shaped by, its democratic processes.
The Law and the Democratic Process course examines the way in which New Zealand's system of law-making both shapes, and is shaped by, its democratic processes. It does so through examining three interrelated sets of questions.
- Why adopt "democracy" as a means of resolving issues of disagreement amongst the members of society, and why does this method of rule making justify the imposition of that rule upon those who may disagree with it?
- In light of New Zealand's general commitment to democratic decision making, how does the law then shape and condition our parliamentary election process? What legal rules govern matters such as who may vote, who may they vote for, how election campaigns may be conducted, how electoral winners and losers are identified, and so on? Why do we have these particular legal rules in place, and are they appropriate or adequate?
- Once the election process has identified the members of New Zealand's Parliament, how does this institution go about making law for the country as a whole? What legal rules constrain this lawmaking process? What other forms of control apply to it? How can interested parties involve themselves in that process in an attempt to influence its outcome?
Therefore, the course combines some legal theory with an in-depth study of New Zealand's electoral laws and the various rules that govern how Parliament operates as a lawmaking body.
About this paper
| Paper title | Law and the Democratic Process |
|---|---|
| Subject | Law |
| EFTS | 0.1 |
| Points | 15 points |
| Teaching period | Semester 1 (On campus) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees ( NZD ) | $730.20 |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- Prerequisite
- LAWS 201, LAWS 202, LAWS 203, LAWS 204
- Limited to
- LLB, LLB(Hons)
- Notes
- (i) Not all optional papers will be available in any given year. (ii) May not be credited together with LAWS477 passed in 2002-2005, 2007 or 2008.
- Contact
- law@otago.ac.nz
- More information link
- View more information on the Faculty of Law's website
- Teaching staff
- Professor Andrew Geddis
- Textbooks
Andrew Geddis, Election Law in NZ (2nd ed, Lexis Nexis, 2014).
Additional course readings via eReserve.- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Global perspective, Interdisciplinary perspective, Lifelong learning, Scholarship, Communication, Critical thinking, Cultural understanding, Ethics, Environmental literacy, Information literacy, Research, Self-motivation, Teamwork.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
- The paper combines some legal theory with an in-depth study of New Zealand's electoral laws and the various rules that govern how Parliament operates as a lawmaking body.