Federal and State Constitutional Law
Heads of power, separation of powers, implied freedoms, federal structure, judicial federalism, executive power.
Dominant casebooks
- Australian Constitutional Law and Theory — Blackshield & Williams · Federation Press (8th)dominant
- Federal Constitutional Law — Joseph & Castan · Lawbook Co (5th)
Briefed authorities
- Brown v Tasmania Brown v Tasmania (2017) 261 CLR 328
Workplace protests legislation invalid — implied freedom proportionality applied.
- Plaintiff M68/2015 v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Plaintiff M68/2015 v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection (2016) 257 CLR 42
Offshore detention — statutory authorisation valid under s 61 executive power.
- McCloy v New South Wales McCloy v New South Wales (2015) 257 CLR 178
Implied freedom of political communication — three-stage proportionality test.
- Williams v Commonwealth (No 1) Williams v Commonwealth (No 1) (2012) 248 CLR 156
Executive spending requires legislative authority outside narrow categories.
- Roach v Electoral Commissioner Roach v Electoral Commissioner (2007) 233 CLR 162
Implied right to vote derived from ss 7 and 24 — limits on prisoner disenfranchisement.
- Lange v Australian Broadcasting Corporation Lange v Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1997) 189 CLR 520
Implied freedom of political communication — defamation defence reformulated.
- Kable v Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) Kable v Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) (1996) 189 CLR 51
State courts must be compatible with Ch III institutional integrity.
- Cole v Whitfield Cole v Whitfield (1988) 165 CLR 360
Section 92 — interstate trade must be free of discriminatory burdens of a protectionist kind.
- Australian Communist Party v Commonwealth Australian Communist Party v Commonwealth (1951) 83 CLR 1
Defence power limits — Parliament cannot recite its way into a power.
Briefs follow the Australian Guide to Legal Citation 4th ed. Source judgments via AustLII. Browse the full AU case library for every briefed authority across Priestley 11.