Indigenous Constitutional Recognition Seminar: 12 May 2015
Professor Anne Twomey (Sydney Law School) will deliver a paper entitled: Indigenous
Constitutional Recognition — The Constitutional Challenges Underlying the Development of Referendum Proposals:
While the public debate on the constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples has largely raised issues of politics, history and morality, there are also complex constitutional problems that need to be dealt with before the form of a referendum proposal is decided upon. This talk will canvas those constitutional issues including constraints on powers so that they are not used oppressively and how constitutional provisions are intended to connect with and affect each
other. It will also address alternative proposals, including the use of a
purposive power and a right to consultation
Commentator: The Honourable Justice John Griffiths (Federal Court of Australia)
Chairperson: The Honourable Justice John Basten (NSW Court of Appeal)
The seminar will be held in Court 18B (our usual venue, and not 18D as previously
advertised), Federal Court of Australia, Queens Square, Sydney, on Tuesday,
12 May 2015, between 5:30–7:00 pm.
In the last twelve months, a number of Indigenous lawyers and politicians were
invited by the Association to comment on Professor Twomey's paper. Unfortunately, these invitees were not available for comment.