The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Australia

The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Australia
Author: Nicholas Aroney
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 697
Release: 2015-09-11
Genre: Law
ISBN: 0521759188

This book provides an engaging and distinctive treatment for anyone seeking to understand the significance and interpretation of the Constitution.

Religious Freedom and the Australian Constitution

Religious Freedom and the Australian Constitution
Author: Luke Beck
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 335
Release: 2018-03-19
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1351257749

This book examines the origins of Australia’s constitutional religious freedom provision. It explores, on the one hand, the political activities and motives of religious leaders seeking to give the Australian Constitution a religious character and, on the other, the political activities and motives of a religious minority seeking to prevent the Australian Constitution having a religious character. The book also interrogates the argument advanced at the Federal Convention in favour of section 116, dealing with separation of religion and government, and argues that until now scholars and courts have misunderstood that argument. The book casts new light to show how the origins of the provision lead to section 116 being conceptualised as a safeguard against religious intolerance on the part of the Commonwealth. Written in an accessible style, the work has potential to influence the development of constitutional doctrine by the High Court through its challenge of historical assumptions on which the High Court’s current doctrine is based. Given the ongoing political debates concerning the interaction of discrimination law and religious freedom, the book will be of interest to academics and policy-makers working in the areas of law and religion, constitutional law and comparative law.

The Australian Constitution in Context

The Australian Constitution in Context
Author: Katherine Lindsay
Publisher: Lawbook Company
Total Pages: 200
Release: 1999
Genre: Law
ISBN:

The analysis & critical appraisal of primary legal materials are the cornerstones of a deep & effective understanding of constitutional law. The Australian Constitution in Context is designed to introduce students to the text of the Commonwealth Constitution, & the other primary sources of constitutional law, including statutes & case law interpreting the provisions of the constitutional document. Designed as a resource book, it focuses on encouraging students to engage with original sources, in order to develop critical skills for analysis, alerting them to the contexts within which the sources function. The text also provides exercises calling upon students to reflect, not just on the language of the constitutional document, but also upon the history of its interpretation, & the social context within which constitutional disputes arise & are settled. Through the exercises & case studies students will develop an appreciation of the multiple facets of constitutional law, knowledge of the role & function of governmental institutions, & an understanding of core conceptual & theoretical issues. The questions & research exercises are supplemented by other activities, which include revision exercises & terminology lists for revision & individual assessment. These activities are designed to complement & support the exercises, & sharpen students' skills.

The Australian Constitution as it is Actually Written

The Australian Constitution as it is Actually Written
Author: Graham L Paterson
Publisher: Strategic Book Publishing & Rights Agency
Total Pages: 243
Release: 2015-04-03
Genre: History
ISBN: 1631358421

“The continued usage of the Australian Constitution Act (UK) by the Australian Governments and the judiciary is a confidence trick of monstrous proportions played upon the Australian people with the intent of maintaining power…. Authority over the Australian Constitution Act lies not with the Australian government, nor with the Australian people. It rests solely with the UK. Only they have the authority to repeal this legislation....” - The late Professor G. Clements, UK QC and emeritus Professor in Law at Cambridge University This book is the first of its type to be written in the last 114 years. Nobody has done so since Quick and Garran in 1901. The British Colony of Australia Act (1900) represents Australia's primary law. It is still used today as our Constitution. That Act controls all our lives. The British Government added the first eight parts of this Act and the ninth part is the draft Constitution. That draft was changed by the British Government before they would allow the Act to be presented to their Parliament. This amended Constitution was never presented to the “people” of Australia for their approval. The document is steeped in nineteenth century colonial thinking, and has never been brought up to date. It remains antiquated and bears very little relationship to the way we are governed. It is a myth that the referendums in 1899 and 1900 asked the “people” to approve the draft Constitution. The few selected “people” were asked if they wanted “union of the Colonies or disunion”. The acceptance of the original draft Constitution was taken for granted. The draft Constitution was never about democracy or Australian sovereignty. Another of the myths this book debunks is that the Constitution can only be changed by a referendum of the Australian people. The fifty colonial representatives; referred to as our “the founding fathers”, saw fit to include thirty nine provisions allowing Parliament to change the Constitution any time the ruling party wished. They have done this so many times in the last 114 years that no one has kept count. Read this book and find out why this primary law of the land is never taught in our schools, and how it controls your life.

Australian Constitutional Landmarks

Australian Constitutional Landmarks
Author: H. P. Lee
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 476
Release: 2004-01-12
Genre: Law
ISBN: 9781139450355

Australian Constitutional Landmarks presents the most significant cases and controversies in the Australian constitutional landscape up to its original publication in 2003. Including the Communist Party case, the dismissal of the Whitlam government, the Free Speech cases, a discussion of the race power, the Lionel Murphy saga, and the Tasmanian Dam case, this book highlights turning points in the shaping of the Australian nation since Federation. Each chapter clearly examines the legal and political context leading to the case or controversy and the impact on later constitutional reform. With contributions by leading constitutional lawyers and judges, as well as two former chief justices, this book will appeal to members of the judiciary, lawyers, political scientists, historians and people with a general interest in Australian politics, government and history.

To Constitute a Nation

To Constitute a Nation
Author: Helen Irving
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 276
Release: 1999-06-13
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780521668972

This imaginative and resonant 1997 book looks at the constitution as a cultural artefact. It attempts to understand the period during which it emerged, culminating in Federation in 1901. Irving looks beyond the well-known events, places and figures to locate federation and the constitution in the context of broader social, political and cultural changes. She argues that Australians displayed an ability to reconcile the demands of pragmatism with the urge of romanticism. Despite its paradoxical construction, there is something uniquely Australian about the constitution, and it marked a utopian moment as the old century gave way to the new. Irving analyses the background and outcomes of the Constitutional Convention and considers its significance for Australia's possible future as a republic.