Five things to know about the Australian Constitution / Helen Irving.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Irving, Helen, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Constitutional law--Australia.

Constitutional law.

Constitutional history--Australia.

Constitutional history.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (vi, 162 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2004.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

In this excellent new book, Helen Irving delves into the mystery that is the Australian constitution by discussing the major national debates of recent years. Many people want to understand and take part in the debate about constitutional issues but they face a significant hurdle: the constitution is almost unreadable. It does not mean what it says, and nor does it say what it means. There are many myths in circulation about what the constitution says and as many assumptions about what it does. Helen Irving, one of this country's foremost constitutional experts, puts various constitutional confusions to rest, and invites a general audience into an understanding of the issues that were once reserved for experts.

Contents:

The constitution does not mean what it says : does the Governor-General really command Australia's troops?

The constitution does not say what it means : why does Australia have a prime minister?

The constitution says some things without actually saying them : how is free speech protected in Australia?

The constitution fails to say things that might be important : who is in charge in a national emergency?

The constitution says things that contradict each other : can the government govern without the senate?

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).

ISBN:

1-107-15744-7

1-107-38530-X

1-280-70243-5

0-511-23096-6

0-511-23183-0

0-511-22863-5

0-511-31640-2

0-511-48130-6

0-511-22947-X

OCLC:

171139521