Altering the Australian Constitution
G. Patmore, Choosing the Republic, (UNSW Press, 2009)
19 Pages Posted: 4 Mar 2016
Date Written: 2009
Abstract
This book chapter examines the process of altering the Australian Constitution, by focusing on the failed 1999 Republican Referendum and the ongoing republican debate. It considers both the legal and political steps for constitutional amendment, including: the amendment procedure, initiation of a proposal, selection of a model, choosing the question, informing the people and holding a referendum. The chapter considers the constitutional text, secondary sources, and also interviews with leading political figures conducted by the author. In Australia, few public law researchers have used interviews to study constitutional change; this is also the case in most other common law jurisdictions. The chapter is written for both a popular and academic audience.
Keywords: Australian constitution; referendum; Republic; amendment procedure
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