The Queensland branch of the AACL invited speakers with expertise in constitutional law in Brazil, Ethiopia and Israel to discuss constitutional challenges faced by each system, and the similarities, differences and causes of those challenges.

Dr Renato Costa is a Lecturer at the TC Beirne School of Law and an Associate Editor at the University of Queensland Law Journal. Before joining the University of Queensland, Renato practised as a lawyer in one of Brazil's most prominent law firms. He specialises in constitutional and comparative law. 
Dr Terefe Gebreyesus is a PhD candidate at the University of Queensland. His PhD examines constitutional approaches to diversity and complexities associated with identity politics and its impact on constitutional design. Terefe was previously a federal judge in Ethiopia.
Marcel Schlamowitz recently completed a Master of Laws at Victoria University New Zealand. His thesis examined constituent power and the challenge to parliamentary sovereignty in New Zealand, the UK and Israel.

The event was chaired by Associate Professor Alex Deagon of QUT.

The South Australian Chapter of the AACL organised this event, presented by Dr Rachael Gray KC of Victoria Square Chambers, titled 'The Individual, Judicial Method, and Three Judgments of Justice Edelman'.

Dr Rachael Gray KC discussed the judgments of Justice James Edelman in three cases, with a focus on what they reveal about Justice Edelman’s judicial method.

• — Deputy Commission of Taxation v Shi (2021) 273 CLR 235
  — Australian Building and Construction Commissioner v Pattinson (2022) 274 CLR 450
  — Vanderstock v Victoria (2023) 98 ALJR 208

Join a constitutional law expert on the ground in Canada to explore recent developments in Canadian constitutional law, including:

• Federalism and the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions under the Peace, Order and Good Government Power

• Protection of human rights and the legalisation of Medical Assistance in Dying

• Aboriginal and treaty rights and the Indigenous right of self-government over child welfare

• The challenge to the amendments to the rules of succession to the British throne.

Chair: Stephen Keim SC was called to the Bar in 1985 and took silk in 2004. Stephen has a broad practice and has worked in most areas of law. He appeared for the plaintiffs in the High Court in Love v Commonwealth, and has also appeared in a number of other constitutional cases, including Spence v Queensland.

Speaker: Lindy Rouillard is a lawyer at the Department of Justice Canada. She is experienced in the areas of constitutional law, aboriginal law, administrative law and civil litigation. Ms Rouillard’s educational background includes a B.A. (Hons) and LL.B. (Gold Medalist) from University of Quebec in Montreal and a LL.M. from Stanford University. Prior to starting her career as a lawyer, Ms. Rouillard served as a law clerk to the Supreme Court of Canada (2009-2010). Ms. Rouillard has represented the Government of Canada several times before various Canadian courts, including in the legal challenge against the medical assistance in dying act (Truchon litigation).

With generative artificial intelligence growing in prominence, how might artificial intelligence be used in the drafting of legislation? What are the potential risks and opportunities? Can it work? And, importantly, should it be used?

In this video, AACL's Professor Luke Beck (Monash University) chaired the discussion with speakers Associate Professor Guzyal Hill (Charles Darwin University), Dr Paul Burgess (Monash University) and Rebecca Considine (Office of Parliamentary Counsel).

A/Prof Luke Beck, Dr Shireen Morris, Dr Harry Hobbs and Eddie Synot

 Jesse Metzer

This seminar explored the implications for legislation regulating political donations after the High Court’s recent decision in Unions NSW v New South Wales [2019] HCA 1. The case saw the Court unanimously strike down s 29(10) of the Electoral Funding Act 2018 (NSW) as impermissibly burdening the constitutionally protected implied freedom of political communication. Both the constitutional and electoral funding implications of the case were explored during the seminar.

Prof Melissa Castan, Prof Luke Beck, Prof A J Brown AM, A/Prof Kate Galloway and Dr Dani Larkin

Eloise Crompton

Anthony Stoks