InBrief

The Australian Association of Constitutional Law will hold a seminar on Wednesday, 25 May 2016 in at 5.30pm in Court 18B, Federal Court, Queens Square.

"Constitutional Litigation and the Public Interest" will feature a panel discussion on public interest in Constitutional litigation. The panel will include: Ron Merkel QC (Victorian Bar); Professor Gillian Triggs (president of the Australian Human Rights Commission); and Henry Burmester QC (chief general counsel and acting solicitor-general of the Commonwealth between 1995 and 2009). The moderator will be Associate Professor Gabrielle Appleby (UNSW).

Discussion of institutional process and procedure will cover:

• Decisions by governments and private parties to instigate, defend, or intervene in constitutional litigation;

• Standing rules, including for amicus curiae and interveners, and the adequacy of these rules;

• Conduct of public interest litigation and the operation of model litigant rules; and

• Allocation of legal costs. Discussion of deeper questions will include:

• What are the limitations on the ability of governmental and non-governmental parties to represent the public interest?

• To what extent are positions in litigation influenced by short-term political objectives, long-term institutional interests, and broader public interest values?

This event will be open to non-members at no cost.