HSC Legal Studies: Crime question on courts and compliance labelled ‘diabolical’
It was the fifteen-mark question Legal Studies students weren’t expecting. Here’s how you should’ve answered the 10 most controversial words in the 2023 HSC exam.
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A fifteen-mark question on crime and courts threw some HSC students through a loop as they sat down for their three-hour Legal Studies exam, sparking memes labelling the question “evil” and “diabolical”.
In the second section of the paper, students were asked “To what extent do courts encourage compliance with criminal law?” prompting one TikTok user to claim “nothing in the world could ever prepare” her for Question 25.
Legal Studies teacher at Emmaus Catholic College in western Sydney Carmen Rojo said the exam overall was a fair one, and that scoring highly in the fifteen-marker would come down to how well students understand the legislation, such as police powers.
“When it comes to compliance with the courts, (courts) need to make sure that those people in power are following things like the Evidence Act,” Ms Rojo added.
“(Students) need their LCIDs – legislation, case, international documents and media articles … to link to the answer.”
Her students, Year 12 graduates and keen debaters Charlee Rose Murtough-Coombes and Libby Austin, both found Question 25 “a little confusing”, at least at first glance.
“It stumped me a little bit because I didn’t understand what they meant by courts advocating for compliance,” Charlee Rose said.
“But then I took it (meaning) what happens in the courtroom … and then outside local courts, they do AA meetings and … domestic violence meetings. They do the educational stuff as well, so I just took that and ran with it.”
“Once I broke it down … I think I was pretty well-prepared by talking about punishment and awareness kind of forcing society’s hand,” Libby said.
“I answered that question to the best of my capabilities, so I’m pretty confident going out of the exam that we both did well.”
Both 18-year-olds will continue to take exams for other subjects over the coming weeks. HSC exams conclude on November 3 with the Food Technology paper.
Get more HSC tips and tricks
The Daily Telegraph’s ultimate guide to success in HSC exams features the wisdom of teachers who consistently help their classes rake in band 6 results; tutors who’ve scoured over dozens of exam papers and even those who mark the exams.
There’s also advice and tips from some of the best in class from 2022 available here.
They are the successful students who have been there, done that.
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