Faculty of Law

Guidance for examiners of the Doctor of Juridical Science degree.

1. Returning the report and thesis
2. Examiner anonymity
3. Honorarium payments
4. Further queries
5. Governing rules

Returning the report and thesis

Reports may be faxed, emailed or posted to the Faculty. To minimise postal delays it is most helpful if examiners fax or email recommendations and return the original documents in the mail. If recommendations are emailed in the first instance please specify at the beginning of the email which category of classification (as set out on the Examiners Recommendation form) is being recommended. Examiners are invited to retain the thesis for their personal use unless otherwise advised by the Faculty.

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Examiner anonymity

Please note that under the Freedom of Information Act 1994 (WA) to conceal an examiners identity is difficult if not impossible. Faculty policy is that the names of examiners will not be withheld from students (Regulation 49(1)). At the conclusion of the examination process an unedited copy of all the examiners reports will be sent directly to the student. If there is any difficulty with this policy examiners are asked to contact the Faculty as soon as possible to discuss
the matter.

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Honorarium payments

Australian examiners should note that as a result of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), honorarium payments are not tax exempt. It is necessary to deduct 48.5% PAYG tax from the payment to examiners who pay tax in Australia UNLESS a Tax File Declaration and a One-Off Payment Form are completed, in which case only a relatively small amount of payroll tax will be deducted from the payment. Payment will be made by a direct credit transfer into a nominated bank account. 

International examiners will be paid by cheque. Where possible, examiners are paid in their local currency. Otherwise, cheques are usually paid in US dollars.

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Further queries

Examiners with queries regarding the examination process are welcome to email the Faculty Administrative Officer, with their questions.

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Governing rules

Content and format of a thesis

1.3.1.31: A thesis must be in English unless the Board has approved otherwise.

1.3.1.32: (1) Material that has been presented for a degree in this or another university must not be submitted as a candidate's thesis but, if clearly indicated, may be incorporated in it.

(2) The sources from which a candidate's information is derived, the extent to which the work of others has been used and to which the assistance of individuals, associations or institutions has been obtained, must be acknowledged generally in a preface or introduction, specifically in notes, a bibliography or appendices, and must be, throughout the thesis, shown clearly and fully by appropriate references.

(3) The portion of material presented for examination claimed as original must be indicated in the thesis.

1.3.1.33: (1) A thesis may be presented in the form of a typescript, a published book or a paper or series of papers which have been published in refereed journals.

(2) If any of the items submitted in terms of (1) have been jointly authored (a) the work done by the candidate must be clearly indicated and certified as such by the co-authors; and (b) the co-authors must certify that they agree to the inclusion in the thesis of work of which they are joint authors.

(3) A publication of which the candidate is sole or joint author may be submitted as an appendix in support of the thesis, but, in the case of joint authorship, the work done by the candidate must be clearly indicated.

(4) If a series of papers is presented, there must be a full explanatory introduction and a review article at the end to link the separate papers and to place them in the context of the established body of knowledge.

(5) If detailed data and descriptions of methods are not otherwise given, they must be included as appendices.

(6) If, with the approval of the Board, the thesis has been presented as a typescript in the form of a piece of creative writing and exegesis, then the two parts must be strongly connected and the connection must be demonstrated clearly in the exegesis.

Anonymity

1.3.1.51: (1) The names of examiners will not be withheld from candidates.
(2) Candidates, supervisors and heads of school must not discuss any aspect of an examination with examiners during the examination process.

Communication

1.3.1.52: (1) Except as set out in (2) and in the rules for specific master's degrees, examiners must not, before submitting their independent reports, consult or otherwise communicate with each other or anyone connected with the preparation of the thesis.
(2) The Board may ask examiners to consult or otherwise communicate with each other before, or after, receipt of their individual reports.

Classification of theses

1.3.1.55: (1) Subject to (4), the Board will, after considering all reports on a thesis submitted for examination classify the thesis as Passed with no requirement for correction or amendment, Passed subject to revision, Resubmit or Failed.
(2) A thesis classified as Passed subject to revision, will, once the required revisions have been carried out to the satisfaction of the Board, be classified as Passed or Passed with Distinction.

Word Limit - SJD

Faculty of Law rule 7.7.2.9: The thesis must be 50,000 to 60,000 words in length excluding tables, footnotes, endnotes and appendices.

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