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.

Fifteen landmark cases and controversies of parliamentary government in the Australian colonies and States are recounted in all their political and legal drama by some of Australias leading constitutional scholars. Topics covered include the amazing saga of Justice Boothby in the 1860s; Privy Council decisions establishing the plenary power of colonial legislatures; the dismissal of New South Wales (NSW) Premier Jack Lang in 1932; the resolution of deadlocks between State legislative Houses; the making of the Australia Acts 1986; debate on the separation of judicial power in the States; the survival of the NSW Legislative Council; the power to expel an MP in NSW; one-vote, one-value in Western Australia; affirmation of the rule of law in Western Australia; the Franca Arena saga in NSW; and the power to force ministers to produce documents in NSW.

This legal document represents a landmark in Australian political history. The Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act, which was passed in 1900 and came into effect in 1901, established the federal system of government that remains in place today. This edition includes helpful reference tools, making it an essential resource for students, lawyers, and anyone interested in the history of Australian law and government. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

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.

This collection of primary source material on the Australian commonwealth constitution of 1901 brings together original unedited drafts, memoranda, comments by the drafters, and personal letters about the process of drafting the text. Political records including the Hasnard extracts, speeches, and newspaper cartoons reveal the opinions of political leaders and the feelings of the populace about the landmark document. The early drafts and evolution of the document reveal much about Australian constitutional law and political history.