The Crown: essays on its manifestations, power and accountability

Abstract

Since 1901, when the Australian colonies united to form one federation — one united people, one indissoluble Federal Commonwealth, several states, one Crown — the notion of the Crown has remained a value-laden abstraction, defying legal definition. Aspects of its operation and application have been described, and aspects of its legal incidents and legal consequences have been identified. But its contours have never been mapped. The contributors to this book each shine a light on one particular dimension of the notion of the Crown. Discussions include the nature and role of the Crown; the concept of sovereignty with regards to the First Australians, and to the Australian people as a whole; the question of whether the Crown can do wrong; the roles of various law officers of the Commonwealth of Australia; and future directions for the Crown. Collectively, the chapters in this book do much to deepen our appreciation of the notion of the Crown.