The fifth edition of Concise Australian Commercial Law, like its predecessors, has two basic objectives: first, to provide students with a general understanding of the legal environment of business and to expose them to the language and perspectives of legal professionals, regulators and others with whom they will increasingly be required to interact; and second, to cover the main commercial law topics in a way that is clear and accessible but in sufficient depth to challenge non- law students, many of whom will be studying law for the first time and may be doing so with a heavy heart. In the first chapter, we introduce students to the meaning and functions of law and provide a broad overview of the Australian legal system focusing on the sources of law and how laws are made. Thereafter, we examine the most important substantive commercial law topics beginning with the basic building block of commercial life – the law of contract – followed by a study of consumer protection laws (the rights and responsibilities of retailers, manufacturers and importers), the law of torts (in particular the law of negligence), agency law and the law in relation to a number of business organisations. In the final chapter, we examine the increasingly important topic of business ethics (with particular reference to business and human rights and the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry).