EXTERNAL EVENT. Australian Constitution: Residual Liberty vs. Enumerated Rights

Please note: This is an external event and is not organised by our group.

Our members may be interested in attending the following external event, which was helped organised by our late co-founder David Duffy.
Roundtable Forum: Western Heritage

Overview
Many Australians sense liberty is shrinking. How should freedom be protected under the Australian Constitution?

### The Australian Constitution: Residual Liberty vs Enumerated Rights

Join us for a Round Table Forum examining one of the most important constitutional questions facing Australia today.

### Time: 6:00 pm for 6:20 pm start

### Speakers:

#### Professor Emerita Anne Twomey

Constitutional Lawyer

#### Professor James Allan

Garrick Professor of Law, University of Queensland

#### Professor Iain Benson

Barrister, Professor, FRSN

### Discussion

Many Australians sense that liberty is shrinking. Governments of all political persuasions have legislated in the name of safety, security, public health, equality and the public good. Each new law, regulation and administrative apparatus reduces the sphere of individual freedom, raising a broader question: what institution remains capable of limiting government power?
Some argue Australia needs a constitutional Bill of Rights, with courts acting as the ultimate arbiters of constitutional boundaries. Others contend that Australia's freedoms have long rested upon a different foundation: responsible government, the Crown-in-Parliament, common law principles, constitutional conventions, democratic accountability, and a tradition of residual liberty in which government must justify interference with the people, not the other way around.
This forum explores two competing constitutional traditions.
Is freedom best protected through enumerated rights enforced by courts, or through Westminster constitutional tradition that presumes liberty and constrains authority?
Or does the problem lie, not in the absence of rights, but in a diminishing understanding of the constitutional foundations that once constrained power?
If Australians believe liberty is diminishing, what is the cause? What, if anything, should be done about it?

### Important Information

• Capacity: Due to limited seating, online booking is strongly encouraged. Walk-ins paying cash may not be admitted if the event is fully subscribed.
• Entry Fee: $20 (to cover increased venue hire and associated costs). We are a not-for-profit organisation.
• Dress Code: Smart Casual.
• Punctuality: Please arrive on time - latecomers disrupt proceedings. Allow extra time for security checks.
• Recording & Materials: Photography, video/audio recording, and placement of promotional material require prior approval and are at the discretion of the executive.

For event details, registration, venue information, and ticketing, please see the Eventbrite listing.

We encourage members with an interest in political philosophy, constitutional law, history, and public affairs to attend.
Please note: This is an external event and is not organised by our group.