2023 HSC Legal Studies exam

Below is a breakdown of how well Legal Studies students in 2023 answered questions that related to Sentencing and Punishment and Young Offenders. Answers with an asterisk * are the correct answers.

Go to the Legal Studies 2023 HSC exam pack link for a copy of the examination paper and marking guidelines.

Question 3

What jurisdiction is a court exercising when reviewing a prison sentence imposed by a lower court?

          A.           Appellate*

          B.           Indictable

          C.           Original

          D.           Summary

This question addresses the section “appeals” within the topic Sentencing and Punishment.

The question was answered correctly by 77.83% of candidates with options D (9.39%) and B (9.13%) being the main distractors.

Question 13

Rehabilitation is most likely to be achieved by which of the following?

          A.           Fines

          B.           Imprisonment

          C.           Forfeiture of assets

          D.           Diversionary programs*

This question addresses the section “the purposes of punishment” and “types of penalties” within the topic Sentencing and Punishment.

The question was answered correctly by 88.98% of candidates with option B (8.53%) being the main distractor. This was the fourth most correctly answered question.

Question 16

Which of the following is true of judicial guidelines in NSW?

          A.           They are set by parliament

          B.           They set maximum penalties

          C.           They aim to reduce inconsistency in sentencing*

          D.           They are written by the Director of Public Prosecutions

This question addresses the section “statutory and judicial guidelines” within the topic Sentencing and Punishment.

The question was answered correctly by 69.55% of candidates with option A (12.75%) being the main distractor but D (9.68%) and B (7.87) also distracted candidates.

Question 18

The NSW police obtain a court order and take a person into custody because the police believe that person may commit a terrorist attack.

          This is an example of

          A.           Deportation

          B.           Continued detention

          C.           Security classification

          D.           Preventative detention*

This question addresses the section “post-sentencing considerations” within the topic Sentencing and Punishment.

The question was answered correctly by 91.43% of candidates with options C (5.16%) and B (2.61%) being the main distractors. This was the second most correctly answered question.

Question 20

Jo is 14 years old. She is arrested by police who suspect her of committing a summary offence.

          Based on these facts, which of the following is true for Jo?

          A.           She cannot have legal representation

          B.           She must answer all police questions

          C.           The police cannot charge her for that offence

          D.           The police can finalise the matter by issuing a caution*

This question addresses the section “penalties for children” within the topic Young Offenders.

The question was answered correctly by 79.05% of candidates with option C (15.79%) being the main distractor, however B (3.81%) distracted some candidates.