The Australian constitutional framework for the protection of human rights is unique among democratic nations. It alone lacks a national Human Rights Act or Bill of Rights. Instead, the framework seeks to improve rights protection by enhancing deliberation within Parliament. To this end, the...

The management of water in Australia’s rivers has become one of the most urgent public policy problems facing governments at every tier of the Australian federation. This article examines the ways in which water management has been shaped and constrained by the Constitution and, in particular,...

A majority of the High Court in Williams v Commonwealth held that the Commonwealth executive does not have a general power to enter into contracts and spend public money absent statutory authority or some other recognised source of power. This article surveys the Court’s reasoning in reaching...