Nation's best legal minds to meet in Adelaide

Monday, 31 July 2006

Some of Australia's leading constitutional law experts will address a major conference hosted by the University of Adelaide this weekend.

A range of constitutional issues affecting the States and Territories will be discussed during the August 4-6 conference, including the future of Australian federalism.

The University's Law School and the Australian Association of Constitutional Law are jointly presenting the national conference, which honours the contribution to public law of the late Justice Bradley Selway.

"The politics of federalism are to the fore," says Dr Clem Macintyre, Acting Head of History and Politics at the University of Adelaide. "The decisions that parliaments make in the next decade may profoundly change the nature of Australian governance."

University of Adelaide constitutional law expert Professor John Williams said the conference would bring together eminent practitioners, academics and judges.

Speakers will include:

• The Hon Chief Justice Michael Black AC, Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Australia
  
• The Hon Sir Gerard Brennan AC KBE, former Chief Justice of Australia
  
• Solicitor-General of Australia, Dr David Bennett AO QC
  
• Solicitor-General for South Australia, Christopher Kourakis QC
  
• Solicitor-General for the Northern Territory, Tom Pauling QC
  
• Associate Professor Helen Irving, who has recently returned from a year at Harvard Law School
  
• Leading political scientist Professor Brian Galligan
  
• Leading constitutional barrister Dr Melissa Perry QC
  

Before his death in 2005, Justice Selway served as Crown Solicitor and then Solicitor-General for the State of South Australia before being appointed as a Justice of the Federal Court of Australia. Justice Selway was also an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Adelaide and served as President of the Australian Association of Constitutional Law.

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