Legal Studies Guides: Law, government and society (T)

You are a lawyer, with experience in dealing with human rights, who has taken on a new client, from the ACT.

You should choose ONE (1) of the human rights scenarios (on the task sheet) and write a legal letter of advice to your selected client (the complainant). You must advise your client about their legal options and the discrimination they may have experienced.

You will need to include the following in your letter of advice:

• Describe (briefly) the issues in your client’s case.
• Critically analyse the case and provide advice on the roles of all participants including the complainant.
• Apply relevant legislation and similar case examples from Australia.
• Critically analyse the human rights complaints procedure in either the Federal jurisdiction OR the ACT and possible remedies available, including the option of action involving the courts.
• Evaluate the strengths/weaknesses of your client’s case and effectiveness of the likely outcome(s).

When formatting your letter of advice, you should take note of the following key aspects:

• Address the advice to the client
• Include a brief ‘Background’ section, which outlines the details of the client’s case
• The main section of your letter should:

o Critically analyse the nature of the case and legal issues

o Include critical analysis explaining the legal options available

• Include a conclusion - The final paragraph of the advice should synthesise your conclusions about the case. These will consist of your evaluation of the effectiveness of the legal responses