Going postal for same sex marriage
The plebiscite policy has delayed the recognition of same-sex marriage in Australia, but it has also thrown up intolerable tensions within the Coalition and is probably unworkable.
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George Williams
George Williams AO is one of Australia’s leading constitutional lawyers, having worked for many years as an academic and as a barrister. He is the Dean, the Anthony Mason Professor and a Scientia Professor at the Faculty of Law, University of New South Wales.
Constitutional debate offers a way forward on Aboriginal recognition
A constitutional convention representing all Australians will provide a platform to argue why an Indigenous advisory body is the right change.
Battle over voluntary euthanasia about to reignite
National intervention scuttled the Northern Territory law, which begs an important question. Would a state euthanasia law also be short lived?
Abbott's reform manifesto is far from conservative
When Tony Abbott laid down his conservative manifesto last week, the immediate question was how this would affect the standing of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. Less attention was paid to Abbott's alternative program for government. It includes a proposal for governments to bypass the Senate, which he described as the "mother of all reforms".
Overreaction to Khayre's crimes exactly what terrorists seek
Our leaders must avoid the temptation to prejudge and alarm the community through inflated and divisive language.
Mabo has not been the panacea many hoped for
Mabo forced us to confront the convenient fiction upon which Australia was built, writes George Williams.
Uluru statement offers up different set of priorities
The Uluru statement is a landmark moment in the reshaping of our system of government to reflect the aspirations of Australia's first peoples.
We desperately need a genuine plan for federal reform
Australia's leaders are trying to address challenges according to rules made in the horse-and-buggy era.
More MPs could be caught in disqualification trap
You might think that disqualification season is over. The High Court has heard and decided the cases of Rodney Culleton and Bob Day, barring both from taking up their seats in the Senate. The court has also refused an attempt by the Labor Party to disqualify Day's replacement, South Australia's new Family First senator Lucy Gichuhi.
A state fix isn't enough to save community legal centres
When people think of a lawyer, they often have an image of someone who represents the rich and powerful. However, Australia has an army of lawyers who work on low wages to protect the disadvantaged and vulnerable. Many work for one of Australia's 190 non-profit community legal centres, which federal Attorney-General George Brandis announced will receive a 30 per cent funding cut from 1 July 2017.
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