Law, Technology and Global Business (LAWS7855)

Course overview

The course involves an advanced examination of the legal environment in which electronic business transactions take place, including transactions such as electronic data interchange, electronic banking, transnational electronic business transactions, electronic sale of goods and verification and other protective measures against electronic fraud.

This course deals with a wide range of artificial intelligence and electronic commerce law issues in a global setting. The Australian and international approaches to regulating cyberspace and the Internet are discussed. Topics include: autonomous contracting, electronic data interchange, jurisdictional analysis of business transactions, distributed ledger technology (blockchain), bitcoin and smart contracts, electronic sale of goods, artificial intelligence and legal implications globally, the UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Commerce, the UN Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts (New York, 2005) and the UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records (2017), electronic bills of lading, electronic letters of credit, security of electronic transactions, encryption, audit practices, computer and electronic fraud and crime, and consumer protection.

Course requirements

Assumed background

There is no assumed background required. There will be a brief refresher regarding common law Contract and Australian Constitutional Law.

Incompatible

You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:

LAWS5151 or 7151

Restrictions

LLM(16), LLM(24), MBus, MCom(24), MCom(32), MCom(Adv), MICLaw, MICLaw/MCom

Course contact

Course staff

Timetable

The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.

Additional timetable information

The course is presented over 8 weeks in three-hour seminars - weeks 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 11.

There will be two seminars each week: Mondays 2.00 pm - 5.00 pm; and Wednesdays 2.00 pm - 5.00 pm. Students must enrol in one of the two classes.

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Aims and outcomes

Education Mission Statement

The mission of the School of Law is to educate you 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

The aim of this course is that each student should:

1. develop an understanding of the law and regulatory processes applicable to Electronic Commerce;ﾠ
2. develop basic skills in the recognition of legal problems associated with Electronic Commerce; the expression of legal reasoning; the analysis of practical problems; and the application of legal principles;ﾠ
3. develop an appreciation of the context in which Electronic Commerce operates and is regulated;ﾠand
4. develop basic skills in relation to Electronic Commerce including electronic communication and the internet.

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment details

Online In-semester Examination

• Online

Mode

Written

Category

Examination

Weight

40%

Due date

9/09/2025 2:00 pm

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04

Task description

Exam details

Submission guidelines

The examination shall be completed online and automatically submitted when the time is up.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to defer this exam.

Final Written Assignment

• Online

Mode

Written

Category

Essay/ Critique

Weight

60%

Due date

30/10/2025 4:00 pm

The assessment is due in week 13 of the semester.

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04

Task description

Submission guidelines

The take home rearch paper 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.

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.

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment is available for this course.

Additional assessment information

1. The paper should be no more than 2,400 words in length. Papers will incur a 10% penalty for every 10% or part thereof they are in excess of the word limit.
2. The topics for the Research Paper will be provided to students. 
3. The student's name and student number must appear at the top of the page. Students must follow the Law School's Citation Style. 
4. All authorities must be properly referenced and cited. Each paper must demonstrate use of research using Internet materials. When referencing internet sites include: "Visited 23 October 2025".  A complete bibliography must be included. 
5. Students should seek to show that they can comprehend the materials and present them accurately; analyse legislation and cases (where applicable); discern the principles and policies which underlie rules; produce critical review; and develop innovative answers to difficult cases. 
6. Technological failure is not a ground for granting an extension. Students preparing assignments on computers should ensure that material is backed up. 
7. Students are expected to undertake original research themselves, using appropriate original sources (legislation and cases), textbooks, academic and professional journals and electronic information technology. This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI 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.
8. Marking criteria and standards will be provided on Blackboard.

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

Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.

Additional learning resources information

Additional materials and links are provided on the BlackBoard site.

Learning activities

The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.

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 for 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:

• Law School Announcements and Policies