10.4225/03/58ddeea094479
Kay Tucker
Kay
Tucker
Practice Makes Perfect: Building Statutory Research Skills for Students
Monash University
2017
legal research methodology
library annual report
Statutory research
Teaching and learning
Library annual report
Higher Education
Law
2017-03-31 05:52:29
Journal contribution
https://bridges.monash.edu/articles/journal_contribution/Practice_Makes_Perfect_Building_Statutory_Research_Skills_for_Students/4806541
<div>(2017) 25 <i>Australian Law Librarian</i> 15</div><div><br></div>Statute law is of “huge and growing importance”
to the study and practice of law, with very few
areas of law that are not significantly regulated
by statutes. This places statutory interpretation
at the forefront of the law degree, prompting law
schools in their curricula to lay a solid foundation
and build ongoing skills around the interpretation
of statutes. The Council of Australian Law
Deans (CALD) defines statutory interpretation
as referring to “the body of law governing the
determination of the legal meaning and effect of
legislation”. So, what role can law library professionals
play in this space? At Monash University,
the interpretation of statutory provisions is taught
in law units such as Foundations of Law, Public
Law and Statutory Interpretation, Criminal Law,
Corporations Law, amongst others. Librarians
and learning skills advisers teach research and
writing skills, so are well placed to ensure that
law students acquire and practice skills relevant
to legislative research and writing. This works in
tandem with the law units taught, so establishing
a partnership with the relevant lecturers is a key
to success.<div><br></div><div>This article is based on a poster presented at the ALLA 2016 conference by Kay Tucker, Michelle de Aizpurua, Caroline Knaggs and Sandra Pyke, Law Library, Monash University.<br></div>