‘It’s [not] the vibe’: Constitutional Law student loses marks after relying on The Castle

Student Contribution: Ruby Evans

The Castle – you know it, you love it. The feel good 90s comedy set in Melbourne’s north west dubbed a classic of Australian film. Many law students would say it was the birth of their dreams of becoming a lawyer.

This was the case for law student Rebecca. Yet little did she know that sitting on her grandma’s couch in 2006 watching The Castle for the first time, would one day lead to her hunched over a Constitutional Law textbook with 40 tabs open struggling over her assignment.

“And then it clicked,” she said. “This has always been my comfort movie, and it might just be the answer!”

The plot considers unfair acquisitions of property by the Commonwealth under section 51(xxxi) of the Australian Constitution, after developers attempt the compulsory acquisition of Mr Kerrigan’s house for the expansion of the neighbouring airport. “It was just what I needed for my memorandum of advice. It was legally relevant to the problem question – besides, it was a landmark precedent!”

It would seem that the desperation of assignment writing had gotten to her, however, as her result was missing heaps of marks (chockas, in fact). It’s safe to say that ‘Kerrigan v Commonwealth’ does not hold up in a court of law of bloody common sense.