VCE (years 11 & 12)

VCE Legal Studies

Making the Law DVD satisfies the requirements of VCE Legal Studies in Unit 3: Making and Changing the Law. It explores the legislative process: how laws are made by our elected representatives in the Parliament of Victoria.

This DVD explores the legislative process. It follows a junior reporter as he tracks a bill from its inception through Cabinet and both houses of Parliament to signing by the Governor to become law, or an Act of Parliament.

Each person we meet on the journey explains how their input contributes directly to the legislative process: the Premier, Leader of the Opposition, a Minister (the Attorney General in this instance) and the Presiding Officers and Clerks of the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council. A retired Supreme Court judge describes the role of the Victorian Law Reform Commission and comments on the drafting process, and a senior lecturer in politics at Monash University offers extra insight to contextualise the process along the way.

 This DVD is supplemented by the pamphlet How a Law is Made in Victoria (pdf, 403.29 Kb)

You can also experience this material online via a series of linked videos at How a Law is Made (Interactive)

VCE International Studies, Legal Studies and History

From Westminster to Spring St DVD has been produced for an adult audience and is suitable for upper secondary and tertiary students. It provides useful background for students of VCE International Politics: Unit 3, VCE Legal Studies: Unit 3 and VCE History: Unit 3.

This DVD outlines the evolution of Victoria’s system of government. It covers the historical factors in the development of Victoria’s Westminster influenced system as it operates today. It looks at the role of the Governor and the idea of ‘responsible’ or accountable government as it applies to the interaction of the legislative and executive branches.

We meet some voters who discuss how individuals can interact with Government and ensure their voices are being heard. There are interviews with Governor David de Kretser, historian Dr Ray Wright, Chair of Parliamentary Democracy at Swinburne University, Prof Brian Costar, and former Secretary of the Department of Parliamentary Services Dr Stephen O’Kane.

Material from this DVD, along with other resources, have been used to produce an online interactive timeline - From Westminster to Spring Street - accessable from the About Parliament section of this site.

Copies of both DVDs have been sent to all secondary schools and public libraries in Victoria.  If you are unable to access these, please contact the Education and Community Engagement Unit to order a free copy.
Phone:  (03) 8682 2655
Email: educationinfo@parliament.vic.gov.au