Australian Constitution

E51811

The Australian Constitution is the foundational legal document that establishes the structure, powers, and functions of Australia's federal system of government and its key institutions.

All labels observed (11)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (68)

Predicate Object
instanceOf constitutional law instrument
foundational legal document
written constitution
allocatesPowersBetween Commonwealth
States
allowsFor admission or establishment of new States
alteration of State boundaries with consent
alsoKnownAs Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 (UK), covering clauses and Constitution
amendmentProcedure referendum under Section 128
assentedToOn 1900-07-09
bindingOn Commonwealth government
State governments
courts of Australia
cameIntoForceWith Federation of Australia
commencedOn 1901-01-01
contains a small number of express rights
containsSchedule covering clauses preceding the Constitution proper
containsSection Section 109
Section 128
Section 51
Section 52
Section 61
Section 71
Section 92
Section 96
country Australia
defines Commonwealth of Australia
doesNotContain comprehensive bill of rights
enactedBy Parliament of the United Kingdom
linked to: British Parliament
establishes Commonwealth Parliament
Executive Government of the Commonwealth
Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia
High Court of Australia
House of Representatives
Senate
federal judiciary
federal system of government
executivePowerVestedIn Queen and exercisable by Governor-General
expressRight freedom of religion (Section 116)
just terms compensation for acquisition of property (Section 51(xxxi))
non-discrimination against residents of other States (Section 117)
right to trial by jury for certain Commonwealth offences (Section 80)
federationDate 1901-01-01
headOfStateRoleDefinedBy provisions relating to the Crown and Governor-General
impliedRight freedom of political communication (as interpreted by High Court)
influencedBy Canadian Constitution (British North America Act 1867)
United Kingdom constitutional conventions
United States Constitution
interpretedBy High Court of Australia
judicialPowerVestedIn High Court of Australia
language English
legalSystem common law
legislativePowerVestedIn Federal Parliament
originalJurisdictionOfHighCourt defined in Section 75 and Section 76
originallyAppliedTo six Australian colonies
partOf Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 (UK)
providesFor bicameral federal parliament
constitutional monarchy
division of powers between Commonwealth and States
referendum process for constitutional amendment
responsible government
requiresForAmendment majority of voters in a majority of States
national majority of voters
shortTitle Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900
status supreme law of Australia
subjectTo constitutional conventions
supremacyClause Section 109 gives Commonwealth law precedence over inconsistent State law
tradeProvision Section 92 guarantees freedom of interstate trade and commerce

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (84)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Senate of Australia constitutionalBasis Australian Constitution
Senate of Australia createdBy Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900
linked to: Australian Constitution
Parliament of Australia createdBy Constitution of Australia
linked to: Australian Constitution
Parliament of Australia constitutionalBasis Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900
linked to: Australian Constitution
House of Representatives of Australia createdBy Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900
linked to: Australian Constitution
Government of New South Wales subordinateTo Constitution of Australia
linked to: Australian Constitution
Dominion of Australia establishedBy Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900
linked to: Australian Constitution
Australia Act 1986 affects Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900
linked to: Australian Constitution
High Court of Australia interprets Australian Constitution
High Court of Australia constitutionalBasis Chapter III of the Australian Constitution
linked to: Australian Constitution
Governor-General of Australia officeCreatedBy Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900
linked to: Australian Constitution
Governor-General of Australia constitutingInstrument Constitution of Australia
linked to: Australian Constitution
King of Australia constitutionalBasis Australian Constitution
Aboriginal Australians recognizedBy Australian Constitution (post-1967 referendum)
linked to: Australian Constitution
Australian Constitution alsoKnownAs Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 (UK), covering clauses and Constitution
linked to: Australian Constitution
Australian Constitution shortTitle Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900
linked to: Australian Constitution
Australian Constitution partOf Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 (UK)
linked to: Australian Constitution
Government of Western Australia governingDocument Australian Constitution
Government of Western Australia subordinateTo Constitution of Australia
linked to: Australian Constitution
Australian government foundationDocument Constitution of Australia
linked to: Australian Constitution
Government of South Australia subordinateTo Australian Constitution in federal matters
linked to: Australian Constitution
Section 24 of the Australian Constitution partOf Australian Constitution
the House establishedBy Australian Constitution
Queensland Government subordinateTo Constitution of Australia
linked to: Australian Constitution
Constitution of Queensland subjectTo Constitution of Australia
linked to: Australian Constitution
President of the Australian Senate createdBy Australian Constitution
President of the Australian Senate associatedWith Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900
linked to: Australian Constitution
Common law of New South Wales constrainedBy Constitution of Australia
linked to: Australian Constitution
Queen of Australia constitutionalBasis Australian Constitution
Crown in right of Australia constitutionalBasis Constitution of Australia
subject linked to: the Crown in right of Australia
linked to: Australian Constitution
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures recognizedBy Australian Constitution (through 1967 referendum changes)
linked to: Australian Constitution
Australian Senate createdBy Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900
subject linked to: the Senate
linked to: Australian Constitution
Australian Senate constitutionalBasis Australian Constitution
subject linked to: the Senate
Australian territories governedUnder Australian Constitution
Judiciary Act 1903 basedOn Constitution of Australia
linked to: Australian Constitution
Chief Justice of Australia legalBasis Constitution of Australia
linked to: Australian Constitution
Full Court of the High Court authorityFrom Australian Constitution
High Court of Australia establishedBy Constitution of Australia
subject linked to: HCA
linked to: Australian Constitution
Australian constitutional monarchy definedBy Australian Constitution
Australian constitutional monarchy constitutionalDocument Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900
linked to: Australian Constitution
Australian law hasSupremeLaw Constitution of Australia
linked to: Australian Constitution
Acts of the Parliament of Australia governedBy Australian Constitution
Referendum Council topic Australian Constitution
Crown of Australia definedIn Constitution of Australia
linked to: Australian Constitution
courts of New South Wales isSubjectTo Constitution of Australia
linked to: Australian Constitution
Executive Government of the Commonwealth constitutionalBasis Constitution of Australia
linked to: Australian Constitution
States of Australia federationInstrument Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 (UK)
subject linked to: States
linked to: Australian Constitution