Course coordinator
Professor John Swinson
Please email me for an appointment.
Research profile: http:www.cyberspac.com
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- External
- Attendance mode
- Online
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Law School
This course will examine contemporary issues arising in the legal profession. Topics will vary from year to year, drawing on the innovative research of TC Beirne School of Law academic staff, as well as the expertise of visiting scholars and leading practitioners. Please refer to the Law School website for current topics.
This course will examine contemporary professional issues in the law of evidence, civil liability, civil litigation, ethics, and administrative tribunals.
The topic for Semester 1, 2025 is Internet and AI – Current Legal Issues Impacting Business.
The course will explore the practical aspects of Internet law and IT law, with a focus on how it impacts businesses, including the business of law.
Broadly, the course will have two components -- Internet law and AI law.ﾠ There will be common issues and themes between these components, but also differences.
For Internet law, the focus will be the impact and use of the Internet for business, particularly international business.
For AI, there are two aspects: (1) What new legal issues arise because of AI, and (2) How will AI impact the practice of law.
Internet law
International commercial arrangements underpin globalisation and enable cross border transactions, but are becoming increasingly complex and difficult to navigate.ﾠ International law issues can also arise in unexpected places as borders start to blur due to the internet and social media platforms.ﾠ The first part of the course has a practical and commercial focus, and will consider these issues from the point of view of an Australian internet or technology products enterprise wanting to expand outside of Australia, or a foreign business wanting to expand into Australia.
AI law
AI is rapidly transforming the legal profession, and lawyers need to understand its implications to remain competitive and effective. This course equips students with the knowledge to harness AI as a tool for legal research, analysis, and client service. Additionally, AI raises complex legal and ethical questions that require thoughtful consideration. By studying these issues, students develop critical thinking skills and a strong ethical foundation, preparing them to address the challenges and opportunities presented by AI. Finally, as AI continues to evolve, there is a growing need for legal professionals who can understand and shape the legal framework governing its development and use. This course fosters the development of lawyers capable of navigating the intersection of law and technology, thereby contributing to the responsible and beneficial integration of AI into society.
Approach
The course is intended to be practical, looking at issues that arise in real life, rather than focusing on topics that are academically interesting but of little practical relevance.ﾠﾠThis course is focused on legal issues with a technological focus.ﾠ What legal issues will face a Brisbane enterprise doing business on the Internet?ﾠ What legal issues will face a foreign enterprise doing business on the Internet in Australia?ﾠ How will AI legal issues impact business?
The course spotlights business problems, and in doing so, looks at a number of relevant legal subjects.ﾠﾠThe course aims to tie these topics together with an over-arching “legal theory”.ﾠﾠVarious problems will be workshopped throughout the course.ﾠ
We will consider Australian law and the laws of other countries.ﾠﾠ
LAWS7725 is an interactive course taught in seminar mode.ﾠ We will be using the Socratic method of lecturing at times, so you may be called upon to contribute during the seminars.ﾠ You will be expected to have read each key reading and to have thought about any assigned tutorial problem prior to class.
You are encouraged to turn your phones off during class, and to limit use of your laptops when we are engaging in discussion.
Classes consist of a three-hour seminar, commencing UQ Week 3.ﾠ There will be 8 weeks of seminars.ﾠ
The course will be taught by Professor John Swinson.
Course requirements
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
LAWS7884
Restrictions
Students in LLM 16 unit or LLM 24 unit programs only
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Professor John Swinson
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
Classes start at 5pm.
Classes take place on Monday evenings in Weeks 3 to 9 and Week 11.
At present, we are scheduled for Forgan Smith Building, room W349.
Please note:
- Public holidays: 18 April & 5 May
- Mid-semester break: 21 – 25 April
- Revision week: 2 – 6 June
Aims and outcomes
Teaching Mission Statement
The mission of the TC Beirne School of Law is to educate students in and about the law. We seek to assist you to think critically about the law and to investigate its structures, principles, policies, and values. This is achieved by engaging with you as fellow investigators in a range of critical and intellectual conversations about the law and its place in society. Our role is thus to guide you in your own intellectual journey in the law and to equip you with the necessary skills that will enable you to continue that journey long after you have left the School.
Course Aims
- To enable students to discover and develop a thorough knowledge of the key concepts, drivers and context in the law and business.ﾠ
- To facilitate and promote students’ capacity to analyse authentic case studies and toﾠ appreciate and anticipate future developments.ﾠ
- To encourage and inspire students to query existing paradigms,ﾠ demonstrate creative solutions, and to apply their acquired understanding to contemporary problems.ﾠ
Also refer to objectives below.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
State and accurately explain the underlying drivers, macro forces and key concepts that you appreciate the reasons for the growing importance and polarisation.
LO2.
Demonstrate that you can describe and critically analyse the taxonomy.
LO3.
Identify and explore the risks and opportunities for businesses, including critical analysis of real-life case studies.
LO4.
Formulate, share and assist in implementing a strategy in response to risks and opportunities.
LO5.
Apply your acquired knowledge of the key concepts effectively, in a variety of contexts and settings (different corporate structures, industries and jurisdictions).
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quiz |
Mini Quiz in Class
|
10% |
10/03/2025 - 12/05/2025 |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation |
Essay Research Paper - Internet Law
|
40% |
28/04/2025 2:00 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation |
Essay Research Paper - AI Law
|
50% |
10/06/2025 2:00 pm |
Assessment details
Mini Quiz in Class
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Quiz
- Weight
- 10%
- Due date
10/03/2025 - 12/05/2025
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L04
Task description
The Quiz will take place during the seminar. There will be 7 quizzes in total.
To do well on the Quiz, you should do all the required readings prior to class, and be actively engaged in the seminar.
(There will be a practice Quiz for week 1, which does not count for the grade.)
We will do this Quiz together either at the beginning of the seminar class each week or during or shortly after the end of the seminar, commencing in the first second seminar (Week 4). There will be 5 questions for each Quiz, relevant to the readings and preparation for that class. The Quiz will take 10 minutes.
In the final week, the Quiz will be 20 questions, and cover all of the readings and all of the seminars. It will be 10 minutes.
Your final mark out of 50 will be the total for all 7 quizzes (6x5 + 20).
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of Generative AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct Policy.
Submission guidelines
Mini quizzes to take place in class, using Blackboard quiz functionality. You will need a laptop or similar, fully charged and with an Internet connection, working during class time to do the mini quiz.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Extension to Assessment Due Date
Where an extension for an assessment item due within the teaching period in which the course is offered is available, any extension is limited to one week (7 days). In exceptional circumstances, extensions may be granted for more than one week, but in no case will an extension exceed four weeks (28 days) in total. Where a student is incapacitated for a period exceeding four weeks of the teaching period, they should apply for removal of course.
A student may apply for an extension to assessment due date if they are unable to meet an assessment deadline due to extenuating circumstances. Please refer to the Applying for an extension page on my.UQ for further details on acceptable reasons for an extension and for instructions on how to apply. Additional information on extensions can be found within the Assessment Procedure .
Spoken or written notification of difficulties with assessment deadlines to a course coordinator or the School does not constitute an authorised extension.
Applications to be submitted before the due date: Applications for extension (whether they be medical or exceptional circumstances) shall be made by the due date and time for the assessment. Requests for extensions received after the assessment item submission due date and time, must include evidence of the reason for the late request, and will require the decision maker listed in the Student Grievance Resolution Procedure to accept the request for consideration.
Essay Research Paper - Internet Law
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 40%
- Due date
28/04/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L05
Task description
A choice of essay questions will be given, in relation to Internet law. Students will be required to prepare a research paper on a topic either selected from those questions or otherwise agreed with Professor Swinson. The paper should identify the issue, set out the law in relation to the issue, identify any gaps or problems with the current law, and propose a regime to deal with any gaps/issues and/or propose changes to the current law.
The word limit for the essay is a maximum of 2,200 words, and any material beyond that will not be read. By way of clarification, this word count:
- includes headings;
- does not include text in the header or word count; and
- does not include footnotes - however footnotes should be used for citation purposes only. Any substantive text that appears in the footnote will not be read and will not contribute to your mark.
For style and referencing, students should refer to the Australian Guide to Legal Citation. See item 3.4 of this course profile for further details.
Use of AI
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and/or Machine Translation (MT) technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.
Usage of AI is allowed in this assessment piece, but must be done within the indications and constraints indicated on Blackboard at the beginning of the course. These include (typically in the assessment appendix) the prompts utilised to query AI, the responses provided by the AI, and evidence of critical analysis of text-generated AI, before usage in the assessment. Moreover, usage of AI needs to be adequately referenced in the assessment. These guidelines are provided because, to pass this assessment, student will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written independent of AI tools.
A failure to use AI according to the guidelines above (and detailed on Blackboard at the beginning of the course) may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct Policy.
Submission guidelines
Assignment must be submitted electronically via the submission link on the course Blackboard site.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Extension to Assessment Due Date
Where an extension for an assessment item due within the teaching period in which the course is offered is available, any extension is limited to one week (7 days). In exceptional circumstances, extensions may be granted for more than one week, but in no case will an extension exceed four weeks (28 days) in total. Where a student is incapacitated for a period exceeding four weeks of the teaching period, they should apply for removal of course.
A student may apply for an extension to assessment due date if they are unable to meet an assessment deadline due to extenuating circumstances. Please refer to the Applying for an extension page on my.UQ for further details on acceptable reasons for an extension and for instructions on how to apply. Additional information on extensions can be found within the Assessment Procedure.
Spoken or written notification of difficulties with assessment deadlines to a course coordinator or the School does not constitute an authorised extension.
Applications to be submitted before the due date: Applications for extension (whether they be medical or exceptional circumstances) shall be made by the due date and time for the assessment. Requests for extensions received after the assessment item submission due date and time, must include evidence of the reason for the late request, and will require the decision maker listed in the Student Grievance Resolution Procedure to accept the request for consideration.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Penalties for Late Submission
The following penalties apply to late submission of an assessment item, assuming that an extension has not been approved, and that late submission is academically possible (e.g., it does not delay feedback to a cohort, or interfere with course delivery).
First 7 periods of 24 hours (or part thereof) - 10% per 24 hours of the maximum possible mark for the assessment item. For example, a report worth a maximum of 40 marks, submitted 28 hours late will attract a penalty of 8 marks, calculated as 2 periods of 24 hours x 10% x 40 marks.
More than 7 periods of 24 hours - 100%.
Essay Research Paper - AI Law
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 50%
- Due date
10/06/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L02, L04, L05
Task description
A choice of essay questions will be given in relation to an AI law topic. Students will be required to prepare a research paper on a topic selected from those questions. The paper should identify the issue, set out the law in relation to the issue, identify any gaps or problems with the current law, and propose a regime to deal with any gaps/issues and/or propose changes to the current law.
The word limit for the essay is a maximum of 2,400 words, and any material beyond that will not be read. By way of clarification, this word count:
- includes headings;
- does not include text in the header or word count; and
- does not include footnotes - however footnotes should be used for citation purposes only. Any substantive text that appears in the footnote will not be read and will not contribute to your mark.
For style and referencing, students should refer to the Australian Guide to Legal Citation (4th edition).
Use of AI
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and/or Machine Translation (MT) technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.
Usage of AI is allowed in this assessment piece, but must be done within the indications and constraints indicated on Blackboard at the beginning of the course. These include (typically in the assessment appendix) the prompts utilised to query AI, the responses provided by the AI, and evidence of critical analysis of text-generated AI, before usage in the assessment. Moreover, usage of AI needs to be adequately referenced in the assessment. These guidelines are provided because, to pass this assessment, student will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written independent of AI tools.
A failure to use AI according to the guidelines above (and detailed on Blackboard at the beginning of the course) may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct Policy.
Submission guidelines
Assignments must be submitted electronically via the submission link on the course Blackboard site.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Extension to Assessment Due Date
Where an extension for an assessment item due within the teaching period in which the course is offered is available, any extension is limited to one week (7 days). In exceptional circumstances, extensions may be granted for more than one week, but in no case will an extension exceed four weeks (28 days) in total. Where a student is incapacitated for a period exceeding four weeks of the teaching period, they should apply for removal of course.
A student may apply for an extension to assessment due date if they are unable to meet an assessment deadline due to extenuating circumstances. Please refer to the Applying for an extension page on my.UQ for further details on acceptable reasons for an extension and for instructions on how to apply. Additional information on extensions can be found within the Assessment Procedure.
Spoken or written notification of difficulties with assessment deadlines to a course coordinator or the School does not constitute an authorised extension.
Applications to be submitted before the due date: Applications for extension (whether they be medical or exceptional circumstances) shall be made by the due date and time for the assessment. Requests for extensions received after the assessment item submission due date and time, must include evidence of the reason for the late request, and will require the decision maker listed in the Student Grievance Resolution Procedure to accept the request for consideration.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Penalties for Late Submission
The following penalties apply to late submission of an assessment item, assuming that an extension has not been approved, and that late submission is academically possible (e.g., it does not delay feedback to a cohort, or interfere with course delivery).
First 7 periods of 24 hours (or part thereof) - 10% per 24 hours of the maximum possible mark for the assessment item. For example, a report worth a maximum of 40 marks, submitted 28 hours late will attract a penalty of 8 marks, calculated as 2 periods of 24 hours x 10% x 40 marks.
More than 7 periods of 24 hours - 100%.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 19 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 2 (Fail) | 20 - 47 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 48 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
If you feel uncomfortable about computer technology, you may wish to consider taking the free online EdX course from Harvard - Computer Science for Lawyers:ﾠ https://www.edx.org/course/cs50-for-lawyers
ﾠ
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 3 (10 Mar - 16 Mar) |
Seminar |
Why is the Internet Different? Seminar 1 Introduction
Internet jurisdiction
Introduction to case study Learning outcomes: L01 |
Week 4 (17 Mar - 23 Mar) |
Seminar |
Customer Acquisition Seminar 2
Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L05 |
Week 5 (24 Mar - 30 Mar) |
Seminar |
Social Media Seminar 3 Social Media - The Power of the Platforms
Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L05 |
Week 6 (31 Mar - 06 Apr) |
Seminar |
Converting Users to Customers Seminar 4 Converting Customers: Contract formation issues, with a focus on electronic contracting Unfair contracts The sale of digital works Disputes:
International distribution and agency agreements Key legal issues and business risks when doing business internationally Learning outcomes: L01, L05 |
Week 7 (07 Apr - 13 Apr) |
Seminar |
AI Legal Issues - What is AI and what legal issues arise because of AI? Seminar 5 Introduction to key concepts in respect of AI, including generative AI. We will explore how AI works from a technical viewpoint, so that students will be better able to understand legal issues that may result. We will then introduce, at a high level, legal and ethical issues that may arise because of the use of AI technology in business and society. We will consider responsibility - who should be legally responsible in relation to the development and use of AI technologies. If time permits, we will review laws relating to data (relevant to data used to train AI). Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L05 |
Week 8 (14 Apr - 20 Apr) |
Seminar |
The Impact of AI on Existing Laws Seminar 6 We will consider various legal areas (both substantive and procedural) and review in detail how AI technology may impact and potentially require the law to change in such areas. What impact will AI have on the development of existing areas of the law. The legal areas that will be considered include intellectual property law, negligence, privacy law, evidence, criminal law, civil procedure, contract law and commercial transactions. We will consider specific case studies, such as AI controlled vehicles and facial recognition. Learning outcomes: L04, L05 |
Week 9 (28 Apr - 04 May) |
Seminar |
New AI Laws and New Laws Needed Because of AI Seminar 7 We will consider whether new laws are needed to regulate AI, and if so, what those laws should be. Do current laws adequately regulate AI, and if not, is regulation needed? Additionally, we will consider whether there are specific areas or industries where new laws may be needed due to AI. Laws regulating AI in other jurisdictions (such as Europe) and for specific uses of AI (such as medical uses and use of deepfakes in advertising) will be considered. Learning outcomes: L02, L04 |
Week 11 (12 May - 18 May) |
Seminar |
AI’s impact on the practice of law, ethics and society in general Seminar 8 We will consider how AI may impact the practice of law. This will be a broad inquiry, including the impact of AI on law firm business models, how AI will impact work in law firms and corporate legal departments, the training of lawyers, and the work done by lawyers. We will also examine how AI may impact legal process, such as dispute resolution, contract negotiation and M&A transactions. We will consider the ethical issues raised the uses of AI in the legal profession. Broadly, we will consider the impact of AI on society, business, employment and democracy. We may also consider how AI may impact the justice system, fraud detection, policing (e.g. predictive policing), and sentencing. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
School guidelines
Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course: