Legal Studies - HSC

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visitors are kindly advised that this website includes images, sounds and names of people who have passed.

All users should be aware that some topics or historical content may be culturally sensitive, offensive or distressing, and that some images may contain nudity or are of people not yet identified. Certain words, terms or descriptions may reflect the author's/creator's attitude or that of the period in which they were written, but are now considered inappropriate in today's context.

Key to library resources

Access anywhere with a library card In the Library (or anywhere with a Library card for NSW residents)
Available to access in the library Only in the Library
Publicly available online Publicly available

HSC Options resources

Here you'll find resources to dive deeper into your legal studies options.

Find resources to help you with the topic you're studying on these pages

Don't forget to always start your research with the 'Begin your HSC legal studies research' tab. No matter which topic you're studying, you can find current, relevant information from encyclopaedias, journals, newspapers, books, government websites and statistics.

Use the menu to the left to get started on your topic.

How Parliament makes laws

Where do laws come from?

Discover in 10 minutes how a Bill becomes an Act, how legislation changes over time, and why some laws are made by the Commonwealth and others by the states.

Captioned version also available.

Developed by LIAC, State Library of NSW

How courts make laws

Legislation is a major source of law. Courts are the other source.

In this 10 minutes video you'll also find out about the court hierarchy, and the courts' and tribunals' jurisdictions.

Developed by LIAC, State Library of NSW

Captioned version also available.

Find legal answers

Law books at the Library

Browse the shelves (at location number 340s) in the Governor Marie Bashir Reading Room to find books that cover all areas of the law.

We also have law books in the Library's stack storage.

Search the Library's catalogue to find and request books from stack.