Australian Constitutional Landmarks

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.

List of cases; List of Commonwealth constitution provisions; List of statutes; List of contributors; Preface; Introduction: the Commonwealth's constitutional century H. P. Lee and George Winterton; 1. The emergence of the Commonwealth constitution John Williams; 2. The engineers' case Keven Booker and Arthur Glass; 3. The uniform income tax cases Cheryl Saunders; 4. The Bank Nationalisation cases: the defeat of Labor's most controversial economic initiative Peter Johnston; 5. The Communist Party case George Winterton; 6. Fitzpatrick and Browne: imprisonment by a house of parliament Harry Evans; 7. The Boilermakers case Fiona Wheeler; 8. The race power: a constitutional chimera Robert French; 9. The double dissolution cases Sir Anthony Mason; 10. 1975: The dismissal of the Whitlam government George Winterton; 11. The Tasmanian Dam case Leslie Zines; 12. The Murphy Affair in retrospect Geoffrey Lindell; 13. The Privy Council and the constitution Sir Gerard Brennan; 14. Cole v Whitfield: 'absolutely free' trade? Dennis Rose; 15. The 'labour relations power' in the constitution and public sector employees Marilyn Pittard; 16. The implied freedom of political communication H. P. Lee; Index.

This book presents some of the most significant and controversial landmark cases and controversies in the Australian constitutional landscape up to its original publication in 2003. Including the Free Speech cases and the 1975 Dismissal, it highlights those episodes that have marked turning points in the shaping of the Australian nation.