Calendar of Events
Events for 2009
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Wednesday 4 November 2009 |
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The Centre for Public, International and Comparative Law in the TC Beirne School of Law presents a public lecture and book launch |
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 Venue: |
Banco Court
Level 2
Supreme Court Building |
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Time: |
5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
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Contact: |
Ms Tina Vasiljevic, ph: 3346 9350, email: marketing@law.uq.edu.au |
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Further Details: |
Dr Nicholas Aroney, Reader in Law
TC Beirne School of Law, The University of Queensland
Public Lecture: Reinvigorating Australian Federalism
The Hon Ian Callinan AC QC
Justice of the High Court of Australia, 1998-2007
Book Launch: The Constitution of a Federal Commonwealth
(Cambridge University Press, 2009)
The Preamble to the Australian Constitution declares that the Commonwealth of Australia is a 'federal commonwealth'. What did the framers of the Constitution mean by this idea, and how was the idea embodied in the document itself?
Australian federalism is widely thought to be in need of a radical overhaul. But reforms of the federal system will have to be developed within the existing system established by the Constitution, or else involve formal constitutional change undertaken in accordance with the amendment processes prescribed therein.
If we were to embark on a program of reform of Australian federalism that was consistent with the framers' idea of a 'federal commonwealth', what would those reforms look like? Would they involve a further increase in the legislative and fiscal powers of the Commonwealth and the reduction of the State governments to administrative service providers? Or would they begin with reforms at a State level, including the re-establishment of the State constitutions on the basis of the authority of the people of each State and a reassertion by the States of their status as self-governing polities within the federation?
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Friday 6 November 2009 |
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Friday 13 November 2009 |
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Friday 20 November 2009 |
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