2019 Constitutional Law Conference and Dinner

The 2019 Constitutional Law Conference and Dinner was the eighteenth consecutive staging of this flagship event. It was held at the Art Gallery of New South Wales on Friday 15 February 2019. Participants at this event were updated on recent important developments in the High Court, Federal Court and State Courts and the surrounding issues that will emerge in 2019 and beyond. This event was organised by the Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law at the Faculty of Law, UNSW, with the support of the Australian Association of Constitutional Law.

Here are the conference brochures with program:
Professor Gabrielle Appleby and Justice Mark Moshinsky delivered the morning keynotes on the year in constitutional law in the High Court, and in the Federal and State Courts, respectively. The cases covered in Sessions 2 and 3 were Unions NSW No 2 and the abortion clinic safe access zone cases from Tasmania and Victoria (implied freedom of political communication); the section 44 cases of Re Gallagher and Alley v Gillespie; two cases about alleged inconsistency between Federal and Territory laws; the Timber Creek native title compensation case; and Minogue v Victoria (statutory interpretation, the Victorian Charter and parole). The Session 2 and 3 speakers were Joshua Thomson SC (newly appointed WA Solicitor-General), Professor Anne Twomey, Associate Professor Julie Debeljak, Associate Professor Sean Brennan and barristers Frances Gordon and Houda Younan. Session 4 featured Associate Professor Jason Bosland (open justice and suppression orders), Professor Lyria Bennett Moses (automated decision-making and the rule of law) and Fred Chaney AO (Uluru Statement from the Heart).

The Conference Dinner was held at NSW Parliament House, where the dinner speaker was the Hon Justice Joe Williams.

Papers

Professor Andrew Lynch, UNSW
The High Court on Constitutional Law: The 2018 Statistics
Summary Analysis and Tables

The Hon Justice Mark Moshinsky, Federal Court of Australia The Federal and State Courts on Constitutional Law: The 2018 Term Paper

Professor Anne Twomey, University of Sydney Spending Caps on Third Party Campaigners in State Elections: Unions NSW v NSW (No 2) Powerpoint sildes

Ms Frances Gordon, NSW Bar Safe Access Zones Around Abortion Clinics and the Implied Freedom of Political Communication: Clubb v Edwards; Preston v Avery Powerpoint slides

Mr Joshua Thomson SC, Solicitor-General of Western Australia Section 44, Reasonable Steps and Parliament’s Authority to Decide Qualification Issues: Re Gallagher; Alley v Gillespie Speaking notes

Associate Professor Sean Brennan, UNSW Just Terms for the Extinguishment and Impairment of Native Title: The Timber Creek Compensation Case Powerpoint slides

Associate Professor Julie Debeljak, Monash University Statutory Interpretation, the Victorian Charter and Parole: Minogue v Victoria Powerpoint sides

Professor Lyria Bennett Moses, UNSW Automated Decision-Making and the Rule of Law Powerpoint slides