Why we need to teach law in schools | Kate Offer | TEDxUWA

Summary

The speaker shares a childhood story of accidentally breaking the law by picking a wildflower in Kings Park, Western Australia, which sparks a lifelong interest in law. The narrative transitions into a discussion about the importance of legal literacy, using examples like a young client's misunderstanding of car insurance. The speaker emphasizes that ignorance of the law is not an excuse and advocates for teaching legal literacy in schools to help individuals better understand their rights and responsibilities, ultimately creating a more legally aware community.

Takeaways

• 🌸 Picking wildflowers in public parks, like King's Park in Western Australia, is illegal, even for young children.
• ⚖️ Ignorance of the law is not an excuse for breaking it, even if someone is unaware of certain legal rules.
• 🚗 A young person can face severe financial consequences for not fully understanding insurance policies, as in the case of a client who wrongly assumed he was covered for property damage.
• 🌍 We live in a 'law thick' world, where many aspects of daily life are governed by complex laws, often with unfamiliar terminology.
• 💻 The internet provides access to free legal information, but finding the right resources requires knowledge of specific legal terms and good search skills.
• 👩‍⚖️ Legal literacy is essential for navigating the legal system, understanding rights and responsibilities, and finding reliable information.
• 🏫 Legal education should start early, with efforts to introduce basic legal knowledge and skills into the school curriculum.
• 📚 Creating a legally literate community requires teaching young people not only legal rights but also how to find and interpret legal information.
• 📝 Law can be integrated into subjects like humanities, social sciences, and health education to teach important topics like consent, contracts, and legal responsibilities.
• 💡 Legal literacy is not about turning everyone into lawyers, but empowering people with the tools and knowledge to navigate legal situations in their everyday lives.

Q & A

What sparked the speaker's interest in law at a young age?

The speaker's interest in law was sparked by an incident at the age of five when she picked a wildflower at Kings Park and was told by her teacher that it was illegal, which left a strong impression on her.

What mistake did the speaker's client make regarding car insurance?

The speaker's client mistakenly thought that when he paid for his car to be licensed, he was automatically insured for all types of damage. In reality, the insurance only covered personal injury, not damage to other vehicles.

Why does the speaker emphasize the importance of legal literacy?

The speaker emphasizes the importance of legal literacy because not knowing one's legal rights and responsibilities can lead to serious and lifelong consequences, as demonstrated by her client’s financial difficulties after a car accident.

What is the fundamental truth that both the speaker and her client faced regarding the law?

The fundamental truth is that ignorance of the law excuses no one, meaning that not knowing the law does not exempt someone from its consequences.

How has access to legal information changed since the speaker's client had his legal issue 30 years ago?

Access to legal information has significantly improved with the rise of the internet, providing a wealth of free legal information from trustworthy sources like Community Legal Centers and government agencies.

What challenge remains despite the availability of legal information on the internet?

The challenge is that many people struggle to find the right legal information due to unfamiliarity with legal terminology and difficulty choosing the correct search terms, leading to frustration and abandonment of their search.

What gap exists between legal information and professional legal help, according to Professor Brett Freudenberg?

According to Professor Brett Freudenberg, there is a large gap between good quality legal information and access to lawyers, and many people fall into this gap, unable to bridge it effectively.

What does legal literacy entail according to the speaker?

Legal literacy involves not only having knowledge of the legal system and one's rights and responsibilities but also knowing how to find relevant legal information and what to do with it once it’s found.

What initiative did the speaker start at the University of Western Australia to improve legal literacy?

The speaker started a unit called 'Adulting: The Law for Everyday Lives,' which covers various areas of law that young people need to know about, such as health, housing, and relationships.

How does the speaker suggest integrating legal literacy into the education system?

The speaker suggests introducing legal content into the school curriculum by integrating it into existing subjects such as Humanities and Social Sciences or Health and Physical Education, where students could learn important legal concepts and skills.