Free exercise, the implied freedom of politica communication, and the Australian Constitution

Abstract

This essay argues that the implied freedom of political communication in the Australian Constitution includes within its protection religious speech, and that such speech may include acts of worship, such as communal public prayer, as a necessary corollary of speech. Treating religious speech in this way may have significant implications for the restrictions placed upon communal worship activities, such as those employed to control the spread of COVID-19.