The Priestly 11

The Priestly 11 subjects are the core topics that every law student must study to qualify for legal practice in Victoria and throughout Australia. These units ensure every graduate gets a broad legal education, with fundamentals in all the major areas of law, so that they are ready for legal practice in Victoria or anywhere in Australia. This is a simple breakdown of what each subject covers and why it matters.

Administrative Law

Administrative Law is all about rules and laws that control how government departments make decisions. It highlights how people can challenge unfair or unlawful decisions made by government agencies.

Civil Dispute Resolution

Civil Dispute Resolution covers the way courts handle non-criminal cases—like how lawsuits are filed, defended, and decided. It explains the steps, paperwork, and court rules for resolving disputes between people or companies.

Company Law

Company law deals with business structures, primarily companies. It explains how companies are formed, run, dissolved, and what responsibilities company directors and shareholders have.

Contracts

Contracts looks at promises that can be legally enforced. It covers how agreements are made, what makes them valid, how they can end, and what happens if someone breaks a contract.

Criminal Law and Procedure

Criminal law is about offences against society, like theft or assault. It teaches what is criminal, how offenders are prosecuted, and how courts determine guilt and punishment.

Equity

Equity refers to fairness in the law and deals with concepts like trusts, where one person holds property for another. This subject covers remedies that go beyond strict legal rules and focus on justice.

Ethics and Professional Responsibility

This is about the rules lawyers themselves must follow—keeping things confidential, acting honestly, and doing the right thing for clients and courts.

Evidence

Evidence explains the rules for what can be shown or said in court. It covers how lawyers prove facts, what types of proof are allowed, and how judges and juries decide what to believe.

Constitutional Law

Constitutional law is about the rules that shape how Australia is governed—including the division of powers between the federal and state governments.

Property Law

Property law covers ownership and use of both land and personal items. It includes how property is bought, sold, passed down, or shared, and the rights people have over things they own.

Torts

Torts are civil wrongs—when a person’s actions unfairly harm someone else. This includes things like negligence, defamation, and nuisance. It covers who is liable and what (if any) compensation is due.