InBrief

Associate Professor James Stellios (Australian National University) will present a paper on "A Rethinking of the Separation of Powers" at a seminar hosted tonight by the Australian Association of Constitutional Law.

The strict separation of Commonwealth judicial power from other forms of government power is a long established principle in Australian constitutional law. Its continued recognition poses challenges for the design of government institutions and the conferral of powers on them. Since the Australian judiciary is an integrated one, this has implications not just for courts at the federal level, but also for courts at the state and territory level. This paper will explore some of the implications for the judicial role at all levels of government and consider whether we should continue to recognise the principle in its current form.

Commentators: Sir Anthony Mason AC KBE QC and Mr RJ Ellicott QC

Chair: The Hon JJ Spigelman AC, Chief Justice of New South Wales

Venue: Court 18B, Federal Court, Queens Square, Sydney at 5.30 pm

The event is for members of AACL only. Membership is $50 per annum and entitles members to attend about five seminars a year at no additional cost. Membership enquiries may be made with Christos Mantziaris, 6th Floor St James Hall (mantziaris@stjames.net.au)

20 October 2010