This project follows on from The Oxford Companion to the High Court of Australia, based at ANU. The editors of that work are Professors Tony Blackshield, Michael Coper and George Williams. The project supports research into the work of the High Court in the field of public law in a number of ways.

The Centre fosters and engages in analysis and discussion of the Court’s recent decisions at its annual Constitutional Law conference in February each year. The papers and proceedings from past conferences may be accessed at our Publications page. The cornerstone of the Centre’s ongoing contribution to debate and discussion of the High Court’s constitutional law decisions is Australian Constitutional Law & Theory – Commentary & Materials which is co-authored by Tony Blackshield and George Williams, Centre Associate and Director respectively. The fourth edition of that text was published by Federation Press in January 2006.

Additionally, the project looks at the Court as a decision-making institution and arm of government. One example of this is the production of annual statistics on the judgment delivery patterns of its members in constitutional cases and in general (see recent volumes of the University of New South Wales Law Journal). Consideration is also given to proposals and arguments for reform of the institution, such as the work of Rachel Davis and the Centre Director on advocating the adoption of an appointments process which would enable better female representation on the Bench.

Additionally, the Centre contributes the Australian report to a global project managed by Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, which brings together updates and analysis of the decisions of final constitutional courts from around the world. You can access the Top Court Talk website here.