Knowledge (XXG)

Section 51(xxix) of the Constitution of Australia

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approaches produced an unqualified view that Parliament could legislate to give effect to any obligation or even non-binding recommendation contained in an international treaty once ratified. It was later qualified by Stephen J that it was necessary that the treaty at the very least deals with an area of international concern. However, this test of 'international concern' was rejected by Mason J in
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To some extent, there has been debate over whether the ratification of an international treaty may justify the exercise of Commonwealth legislative power for the purpose of the implementation of that treaty. There is a marked difference between earlier and modern approaches to this issue. Initial
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According to Constitutional law academic Michael Coper, it is "not entirely clear what the founding fathers intended" by conferring upon the Commonwealth Parliament the right to legislate with respect to "external affairs". Section 51(xxix) was amended a number of times in the Constitutional
178:" committed in Europe during World War II. Chief Justice Mason, and justices Deane, Dawson and McHugh held that this conclusion was sufficiently based on the fact that the geographical location in which the relevant acts were alleged to have been done was physically external to Australia. 54:
Conventions that debated the draft Constitution in the 1890s. The draft Constitution adopted by the 1891 Sydney Convention allowed the Parliament to make laws with respect to "External affairs and Treaties". This wording carried through the 1897 Adelaide Convention but the
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In Australia, developments in international law have no direct effect for domestic purposes unless a deliberate law-making act by the proper law-making authority has "transformed" the international rule into a domestic rule.
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ought to enter treaties that bound Australia. The removal of the explicit reference to treaties was confirmed by the delegates to the 1897 Sydney Convention and the 1898 Melbourne Convention.
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suggested that the external affairs power would "prove to be a great constitutional battle-ground." Some 86 years later, Coper remarked that their prediction "showed remarkable foresight".
685: 41:, the activities regulated by treaty-implementing legislation have not been international in nature but rather located solely within Australia or even solely within a particular State. 890: 104:(1949) that "external affairs" was not confined to the "preservation of friendly relations with other Dominions", but extended to relations with "all countries outside Australia". 854: 1754: 808: 1749: 1719: 1739: 1734: 1714: 1664: 818: 570: 1729: 200: 86:
The term "external affairs" was used in section 51(xxix) rather than "foreign affairs" to make it clear that relations with the United Kingdom and other parts of the
1689: 1649: 1644: 1634: 1639: 1611: 1496: 956: 159:"to matters or things geographically situated outside Australia". These suggestions were reinforced in later cases, and finally assumed decisive importance in 33:
In recent years, most attention has focused on the use of the power to pass legislation giving effect within Australia to its obligations under international
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in 1983, which outlines the current approach to implementing treaties and was later confirmed by subsequent cases.
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was created in 1901, the United Kingdom and its possessions were not conceived of as "foreign" to Australia.
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held that s 51(xxix) contained a sufficient grant of power to support a law to identify and
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Chapter I of the Constitution of Australia: The Legislature
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the right to legislate with respect to "external affairs".
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Chapter II of the Constitution of Australia: The Executive
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The Annotated Constitution of the Australian Commonwealth
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Australian Constitution (Public Record Copy) Act 1990
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Chapter III of the constitution of Australia: Courts
166:(1991). In this case, all judges other than Justice 131:" had emerged since 1945 distinctly as a product of 1620: 965: 914: 891:
2017–18 Australian parliamentary eligibility crisis
863: 827: 771: 715: 694: 663: 622: 586: 518:(1990) 16 University of Queensland Law Journal 123 293: 201:Section 51(xxx) of the Constitution of Australia 220:Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 20:Section 51(xxix) of the Australian Constitution 534:(1995 reprint ed.). Sydney: Legal Books. 564: 8: 442:Richardson v Forestry Commission of Tasmania 681:Section 75 of the Constitution of Australia 640:Section 61 of the Constitution of Australia 604:Section 51 of the Constitution of Australia 492:Encounters with the Australian Constitution 259: 1680:(xviii) Copyrights, patents and trademarks 969: 748:Implied freedom of political communication 571: 557: 549: 247: 182:Implementing treaties (international law) 37:. In some cases, as with human rights or 24:Section 51 of the Australian Constitution 16:Subsection in the Australian Constitution 845:Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1942 212: 90:were intended to be included. When the 1645:(v) Post and telegraph (communication) 906:Separatist movements within Australia 753:Implied immunity of instrumentalities 271: 235: 7: 957:VIII: Alteration of the Constitution 896:List of proposed states of Australia 530:Quick, John; Garran, Robert (1901). 28:Commonwealth Parliament of Australia 1740:(xxxv) Conciliation and arbitration 871:Constitutional history of Australia 56:New South Wales Legislative Council 494:. North Ryde, NSW: CCH Australia. 14: 1635:(i) Interstate trade and commerce 1685:(xix) Naturalization and aliens 462:(Industrial Relations Act case) 344:(Seas and Submerged Lands case) 1735:(xxxi) Acquisition of property 342:New South Wales v Commonwealth 82:Relations with other countries 1: 1785:Australian constitutional law 723:Australian Constitutional Law 153:Seas and Submerged Lands Case 143:Matters external to Australia 120:Seas and Submerged Lands case 927:II: The Executive Government 509:McDermott, Peter M. (1990). 840:Statute of Westminster 1931 819:Retirement of judges (1977) 391:Polyukhovich v Commonwealth 162:Polyukhovich v Commonwealth 147:According to Chief Justice 1801: 901:Republicanism in Australia 881:Constitutional Conventions 738:Constitutional conventions 313:Koowarta v Bjelke-Petersen 111:Koowarta v Bjelke-Petersen 972: 835:Constitution of Australia 758:Reserve power (sovereign) 655:Federal Executive Council 580:Constitution of Australia 1710:(xxiiiA) Social security 609:House of Representatives 460:Victoria v Commonwealth 39:environmental protection 35:treaties and conventions 1725:(xxix) External affairs 809:Casual vacancies (1977) 784:Senate elections (1906) 490:Coper, Michael (1987). 260:Quick & Garran 1901 133:international relations 92:Australian Constitution 1622:Enumerated legislative 799:Social services (1946) 794:2nd State debts (1928) 789:1st State debts (1910) 728:Responsible government 702:Inter-State Commission 1730:(xxx) Pacific islands 937:IV: Finance and Trade 763:Reserved State powers 466:[1996] HCA 56 447:[1988] HCA 10 421:[1994] HCA 32 397:[1991] HCA 32 393:(War Crimes Act case) 374:[2007] HCA 33 348:[1975] HCA 58 318:[1982] HCA 27 288:[1949] HCA 46 164:(War Crimes Act Case) 828:Constitutional texts 733:Separation of powers 417:Horta v Commonwealth 250:, p. 123 to 131 98:Chief Justice Latham 1720:(xxvii) Immigration 1624:powers (Section 51) 932:III: The Judicature 60:Imperial Parliament 22:is a subsection of 1755:(xxxviii) Imperial 1745:(xxxvi) Transition 952:VII: Miscellaneous 850:Australia Act 1986 814:Referendums (1977) 804:Aboriginals (1967) 779:Referendum process 695:Other institutions 686:Boilermakers' Case 189:Tasmanian Dam Case 1772: 1771: 1768: 1767: 1750:(xxxvii) Referral 1690:(xx) Corporations 922:I: The Parliament 587:Legislative power 137:international law 129:continental shelf 1792: 1760:(xxxix) Incident 1705:(xxiii) Pensions 970: 650:Governor-General 573: 566: 559: 550: 545: 517: 515: 505: 477: 438: 432: 414: 408: 387: 381: 369:Thomas v Mowbray 365: 359: 338: 329: 309: 303: 295: 281: 275: 269: 263: 257: 251: 245: 239: 233: 227: 217: 77:External affairs 1800: 1799: 1795: 1794: 1793: 1791: 1790: 1789: 1775: 1774: 1773: 1764: 1675:(xiv) Insurance 1655:(ix) Quarantine 1623: 1616: 961: 910: 859: 823: 767: 711: 690: 659: 623:Executive power 618: 582: 577: 542: 529: 513: 508: 502: 489: 486: 481: 480: 439: 435: 415: 411: 388: 384: 366: 362: 339: 332: 310: 306: 282: 278: 270: 266: 258: 254: 246: 242: 234: 230: 218: 214: 209: 197: 184: 145: 125:territorial sea 106:Justice Brennan 84: 79: 51: 26:that gives the 17: 12: 11: 5: 1798: 1796: 1788: 1787: 1777: 1776: 1770: 1769: 1766: 1765: 1763: 1762: 1757: 1752: 1747: 1742: 1737: 1732: 1727: 1722: 1717: 1712: 1707: 1702: 1700:(xxii) Divorce 1697: 1695:(xxi) Marriage 1692: 1687: 1682: 1677: 1672: 1670:(xiii) Banking 1667: 1665:(xii) Currency 1662: 1657: 1652: 1647: 1642: 1637: 1632: 1628: 1626: 1618: 1617: 1615: 1614: 1609: 1604: 1599: 1594: 1589: 1584: 1579: 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472:416, 464: 453:261, 445: 427:183, 419: 403:501, 395: 372: 354:337, 346: 324:168, 316: 286: 157:Mason 1497:105A 885:1998 536:ISBN 520:ISSN 496:ISBN 457:and 135:and 69:and 1612:128 1607:127 1602:126 1597:125 1592:124 1587:123 1582:122 1577:121 1572:120 1567:119 1562:118 1557:117 1552:116 1547:115 1542:114 1537:113 1532:112 1527:111 1522:110 1517:109 1512:108 1507:107 1502:106 1492:105 1487:104 1482:103 1477:102 1472:101 1467:100 470:CLR 451:CLR 425:CLR 401:CLR 352:CLR 322:CLR 296:121 294:CLR 151:in 108:in 1781:: 1462:99 1457:98 1452:97 1447:96 1442:95 1437:94 1432:93 1427:92 1422:91 1417:90 1412:89 1407:88 1402:87 1397:86 1392:85 1387:84 1382:83 1377:82 1372:81 1367:80 1362:79 1357:78 1352:77 1347:76 1342:75 1337:74 1332:73 1327:72 1322:71 1317:70 1312:69 1307:68 1302:67 1297:66 1292:65 1287:64 1282:63 1277:62 1272:61 1267:60 1262:59 1257:58 1252:57 1247:56 1242:55 1237:54 1232:53 1227:52 1222:50 1217:49 1212:48 1207:47 1202:46 1197:45 1192:44 1187:43 1182:42 1177:41 1172:40 1167:39 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Index

Section 51 of the Australian Constitution
Commonwealth Parliament of Australia
treaties and conventions
environmental protection
New South Wales Legislative Council
Imperial Parliament
Robert Garran
John Quick
British Empire
Australian Constitution
Chief Justice Latham
Justice Brennan
Koowarta v Bjelke-Petersen
Seas and Submerged Lands case
territorial sea
continental shelf
international relations
international law
Barwick
Mason
Polyukhovich v Commonwealth
Brennan
prosecute
war crimes
Section 51(xxx) of the Constitution of Australia
s 51
Coper 1987
McDermott 1990
Quick & Garran 1901
Coper 1987

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