This book aims to enrich the thinking and discussion in relation to the importance that citizenship, immigration, rights and private laws play in the modern world. This is in a time when social cohesion and national identity is being challenged. It will explore the impact these laws have had on Australia, European Union (EU) and Slovenia. Identity and social cohesion are contested concepts and can invoke different responses. The challenges states and the EU are likely to face in retaining and even strengthening their respective identities and social cohesion from continued geopolitical shocks, security, economic volatility and environmental degradation is likely to be formidable. These alone pose some of the most complex political and policy issues facing the world. The EU can be held up as a polity that, has developed an identity and level of cohesion, while allowing member states to retain their national identities. It has, to date, also been successful in managing the rise of nationalism. However, that has come under threat in recent times. Thus, the very foundations of liberal democracy could be diluted from the impact of these challenges. Moreover, the basic foundations of rights have, in part, already been diluted from the rise of terrorism (which is acceptable), however, the geopolitical differences pose a significant challenge, in, and of themselves.

Law and Democracy: Contemporary Questions provides a fresh understanding of law’s regulation of Australian democracy. The book enriches public law scholarship, deepening and challenging the current conceptions of law’s regulation of popular participation and legal representation. The book raises and addresses a number of contemporary questions about legal institutions, principles and practices: How should the meaning of ‘the people’ in the Australian Constitution be defined by the High Court of Australia?How do developing judicial conceptions of democracy define citizenship?What is the legal right to participate in the political community?Should political advisors to Ministers be subject to legal accountability mechanisms?What challenges do applied law schemes pose to notions of responsible government and how can they be best addressed?How can the study of the ritual of electoral politics in Australia and other common law countries supplement the standard account of democracy?How might the ritual of the pledge of Australian citizenship limit or enhance democratic participation?What is the conflict between legal restrictions of freedom of expression and democracy, and the role of social media? Examining the regulation of democracy, this book scrutinises the assumptions and scope of constitutional democracy and enhances our understanding of the frontiers of accountability and responsible government. In addition, key issues of law, culture and democracy are revealed in their socio-legal context. The book brings together emerging and established scholars and practitioners with expertise in public law. It will be of interest to those studying law, politics, cultural studies and contemporary history.

The fifth edition of Australian Constitutional Law and Theory: Commentary and Materials has been thoroughly rewritten. Each chapter has thoroughly reviewed by both authors, with fresh choices made for extracts to bring the book up to date for new materials and scholarshy;ship. The commentary has also been rewritten to provide clearer explanation of concepts and case outcomes. Major new developments have been included by cutting back existing material to focus in more tightly on the key constitutional issues.Also available is the new Abridged edition, click here for details.Major cases added since the last edition include: Attorney-General (Cth) v Alinta Ltd; Bennett v Commonwealth; Betfair Pty Ltd v Western Australia; Clarke v Commissioner of Taxation; Forge v Australian Securities and Investments Commission; Gypsy Jokers Motorcycle Club Inc v Commissioner of Police; K-Generation Pty Ltd v Liquor Licensing Court; Lane v Morrison; Pape v Commissioner of Taxation; R (Bancoult) v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (No 2); Roach v Electoral Commissioner; Sweedman v Transport Accident Commission; Telstra Corporation Ltd v Commonwealth; Thomas v Mowbray; White v Director of Military Prosecutions; the Work Choices Case; Wurridjal v Commonwealth and XYZ v Commonwealth.As this list indicates, the fifth edition includes the groundbreaking 2009 decision in Pape, as well as the other key decisions of this year such as Clarke, K-Generation, Lane and Wurridjal.Significant changes in this new edition include:A rewritten first chapter to provide a more accessible introduction to the subjectA rewritten and restructured chapter on characterisation to make this difficult area more accessible and to produce a more logical flow of concepts and materialThe separation out of the material on the trade and commerce power into a new chapter on the economic powersMajor changes in the chapter on Indigenous peoples, such as to reflect the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Apology to Australia's Indigenous PeoplesChanges to reflect legislative amendment in areas like citizenship lawRewritten material on federalism, especially in regard to fiscal federalism due to the Intergovernmental Agreement on Federal Financial Relations in force from 1 January 2009New material on the defence power as it relates to terrorism and national securityNew material on the executive, such as in regard to the Crown and the nationhood powerThe division of the material on the separation of judicial power into three chapters (titled: Separation of Judicial Power; Judicial and Non-Judicial Detention and The Judicial Process)Revision of the material on human rights, such as to reflect the national charter of rights debate and the enactment of the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities

Few African countries provide for an explicit right to a nationality. Laws and practices governing citizenship leave hundreds of thousands of people in Africa without a country to which they belong. Statelessness and discriminatory citizenship practices underlie and exacerbate tensions in many regions of the continent, according to this report by the Open Society Institute. Citizenship Law in Africa is a comparative study by the Open Society Justice Initiative and Africa Governance Monitoring and Advocacy Project. It describes the often arbitrary, discriminatory, and contradictory citizenship laws that exist from state to state, and recommends ways that African countries can bring their citizenship laws in line with international legal norms. The report covers topics such as citizenship by descent, citizenship by naturalization, gender discrimination in citizenship law, dual citizenship, and the right to identity documents and passports. It describes how stateless Africans are systematically exposed to human rights abuses: they can neither vote nor stand for public office; they cannot enroll their children in school, travel freely, or own property; they cannot work for the government.--Publisher description.

This landmark volume of specially commissioned, original contributions by top international scholars organizes the issues and controversies of the rich and rapidly maturing field of comparative constitutional law. Divided into sections on constitutional design and redesign, identity, structure, individual rights and state duties, courts and constitutional interpretation, this comprehensive volume covers over 100 countries as well as a range of approaches to the boundaries of constitutional law. While some chapters reference the text of legal instruments expressly labeled constitutional, others focus on the idea of entrenchment or take a more functional approach. Challenging the current boundaries of the field, the contributors offer diverse perspectives - cultural, historical and institutional - as well as suggestions for future research. A unique and enlightening volume, Comparative Constitutional Law is an essential resource for students and scholars of the subject.