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Year 8 · Humanities and Social Sciences · Knowledge and understanding

AC9HC8K03

the characteristics of laws and how laws are made in Australia through parliaments (statutory law) and through the courts (common law)

The content description above is Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA)’s own wording, reproduced unmodified from the Australian Curriculum v9.0, read in August 2026, and licensed CC BY 4.0.

© Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) 2010 to present, unless otherwise indicated. This material was downloaded from the Australian Curriculum website and was not modified. ACARA does not endorse this product and is not affiliated with it.

Taught alongside it

The rest of Knowledge and understanding in Year 8.

AC9HC8K01

how Australians are informed about and participate in democracy

AC9HC8K02

the role of political parties and independent representatives in Australian democracy, including elections and the formation of governments

AC9HC8K04

the types of law in Australia, including criminal law and civil law, and the place of First Nations Australian customary law

AC9HC8K05

how culture and religion may influence individuals' and groups' perceptions and expressions of citizenship and their actions as citizens

AC9HC8K06

different experiences of, perspectives on and debates about Australia’s national identity and citizenship, including the perspectives of First Nations Australians as owners of their respective nations, and of different migrant groups

The same idea, year by year

Where AC9HC8K03 comes from and where it goes, for a student working below or above Year 8.

  1. Year 7AC9HC7K01the key features of Australia's system of government, including democracy, the Australian Constitution, responsible government and federalism
  2. Year 7AC9HC7K02the characteristics of Australia's democracy, including freedom of speech, association, assembly, religion and movement
  3. Year 7AC9HC7K03the key principles and features of the Australian legal system, including the Australian Constitution, the rule of law and the court system
  4. Year 7AC9HC7K04how Australia’s secular democracy and pluralist, multi-faith society draws upon diverse cultural origins, including Christian and Western heritage, distinct First Nations Australian histories and cultures, and migrant communities
  5. Year 7AC9HC7K05how values based on freedom, respect, fairness and equality of opportunity can support social cohesion and democracy within Australian society
  6. Year 9AC9HC9K01the role of the Australian Constitution in providing the basis for Australia’s federal system of government and democratic processes, including institutions, and the process for constitutional change through a referendum
  7. Year 9AC9HC9K02the legislative processes through which federal government policy is shaped, developed and implemented
  8. Year 9AC9HC9K03the key features and jurisdictions of Australia’s court system, and the operations of courts and tribunals
  9. Year 9AC9HC9K04the role of courts, judges, lawyers and juries in trials, and the rights of the accused and the rights of victims
  10. Year 9AC9HC9K05how and why individuals and groups, including community, religious and cultural groups, participate in and contribute to civic life in Australia and to global citizenship
  11. Year 9AC9HC9K06the influence of a range of media, including social media, in shaping identity and attitudes to diversity

Planning against AC9HC8K03?

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