What's the law? Australian law for new arrivals (education kit)

About this kit

This is a free education kit about common legal problems that people newly arrived in Australia may encounter.

The kit can be used by teachers, educators and community workers who work with migrants and refugees. It is designed to be used in English classes, but it can easily be used in other community education settings.

The kit includes 13 simple English stories, based on real life experiences, to engage new arrivals and help them:

• get simple information about common legal issues
• recognise and avoid legal problems
• know where to get free legal help if they need it
• build their English language skills.

What's in the kit?

The kit has 13 topics that you can view below. Each topic has:

• a video about common legal problems
• activity sheets to build students’ comprehension and reinforce key messages
• answer sheets, including notes for teachers about how to use the kit.

You can order the kit, which includes a DVD of the videos. You can also download all the materials.

Important update

We have removed the topic 'Family law', as these laws changed on 6 May 2024. If you have saved an old copy of the video or documents, please do not use them.

For information about laws on parenting, visit our webpage Parenting arrangements and child contact.

You can also order or download our free booklet You and family law: a short guide.

Australia's legal system

To present this topic screen the short video Australia's legal system and download:

Buying a car

To present this topic screen the short video Buying a car and download:

Car accident

To present this topic screen the short video Car accident and download:

Centrelink

To present this topic screen the short video Centrelink and download:

Child Protection and parenting

To present this topic screen the short video Child Protection and parenting and download:

Consumer issues

To present this topic screen the short video Consumer issues and download:

Discrimination

To present this topic screen the short video Discrimination and download:

Driving

To present this topic screen the short video Driving and download:

Employment

To present this topic screen the short video Employment and download:

Family violence

To present this topic screen the short video Family violence and download:

Fines

To present this topic screen the short video Fines and download:

Police

To present this topic screen the short video Police and download:

Renting

To present this topic screen the short video Renting and download:

How we developed this kit

Footscray Community Legal Centre, now WEst Justice, identified the need for targeted information for newly arrived people and partnered with AMES Australia to develop a series of digital stories. We helped develop the kit into a national resource, working with WEst Justice, AMES Australia, the Department of Home Affairs, National Legal Aid and legal aid commissions across Australia.

Evaluation

National Legal Aid evaluated this kit in 2013. The evaluation found that 97 per cent of educators using the kit said it was a useful tool to provide information about legal issues.

Contact us

For more information about this kit, or to request support delivering education sessions, please contact:

Community Legal Education
Email: cle@vla.vic.gov.au
Phone: (03) 9269 0234 and ask for Community Legal Education