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Acts/Ordinances/Statutes - Australia (Commonwealth)

The Commonwealth Parliament has been making laws since its inception in 1901. The latest multi-volume consolidation was published in 1973. Most acts are available online from 1901 in both their original form and amended versions.

Current Series of Acts/Ordinances/Statutes - Australia (Commonwealth)

Previous Series of Acts/Ordinances/Statutes - Australia (Commonwealth)

Further Reading of Acts/Ordinances/Statutes - Australia (Commonwealth)

Index of Acts/Ordinances/Statutes - Australia (Commonwealth)



Current Series of Acts/Ordinances/Statutes - Australia (Commonwealth):

Acts of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia
1901-
This series comprises the Commonwealth numbered acts, i.e. acts as first passed by the Parliament, in chronological order. For amended acts, see the reprinted acts.
Locate a copy of this publication:
Web Publications | ACT | NLA | NT | QLD | SA | VIC | WA

Acts of the Parliament, Commonwealth of Australia: [reprints of laws in force]
c. 1973-
This is the series of pamphlet reprints of the revisions of individual acts: as they are in force at a particular time. These acts are not usually recorded separately on catalogues. Available online from 1973.
Locate a copy of this publication:
Web Publications | NLA | NT | QLD | VIC | WA


Previous Series of Acts/Ordinances/Statutes - Australia (Commonwealth):

Acts of the Australian Parliament, 1901-1973 [consolidation]
This is the most recent multi-volume consolidation of Commonwealth Acts, in 12 volumes, containing the latest revisions of all laws, as they were in force in 1973. Earlier consolidations had been published in 1911, 1931, 1935 and 1950.
Locate a copy of this publication:
ACT | NLA | NSW | NT | QLD | SA | VIC | WA


Further Reading of Acts/Ordinances/Statutes - Australia (Commonwealth):

Australian Government Attorney-General's Department
The Attorney-General's Department provides information on law and justice related resources available nationwide.
Locate a copy of this publication:
Web Publications

Halsbury's Laws of Australia
1991-
This multi-volume encyclopaedia of Australian law, published since 1991, gives detailed access to laws and relevant law cases. It is also available electronically as the Australian Legal Research Library and is regularly updated.
Locate a copy of this publication:
ACT | NLA | NSW | NT | QLD | TAS | VIC | WA

Oxford Companion to the High Court of Australia
2001
The High Court of Australia has played a fundamental role as an institution of Australian government since its inception in 1903 to the present. This volume describes how it operates, its historical development, the people who have contributed to that development, the leading cases, and above all, the institutional role of the Court in Australian society. Covers subjects as diverse as feminism, defamation, race, stereotypes, sex, television, humour, and contempt. All Justices have an entry: Barwick, Murphy, Higgins; all significant cases are featured: Tasmanian Dam, Hindmarsh Island Bridge, Chamberlain, Mabo; and relevant themes evaluated: civil liberties, jurisprudence, sovereignty, values.
Locate a copy of this publication:
NLA | QLD | SA | WA

The Laws of Australia [LBC]
1993-
This multi-volume encyclopaedia of Australian law, published since 1993, gives detailed access to laws and relevant law cases. It is also available electronically as the Complete Legal Research System, and is regularly updated.
Locate a copy of this publication:
NLA | NSW | NT | VIC | WA


Index of Acts/Ordinances/Statutes - Australia (Commonwealth):

Commonwealth Legislation Tools
Legislation Tools provides a quick reference to the Status of Bills, Popular Acts, Commonwealth Legislation Tables and the Administrative Arrangements Order.
Locate a copy of this publication:
Web Publications

Commonwealth Statutes Annotations
1988-
This lists all Commonwealth acts passed, amended or repealed; regulations under the act and any reprinted acts published. It also contains reference to law cases relevant to a particular act, and indexes articles about the act in journals. This is updated every six months. It was preceded by Commonwealth Statutes Supplements 1967-1987, and the Cumulative Supplement to Commonwealth Acts 1955-1964.
Locate a copy of this publication:
NLA | NSW | TAS

Commonwealth repealed acts, 1901-
The hardcopy edition Commonwealth repealed acts covers the period 1901-1993. The online Repealed Acts Table covers the period 1988 onwards. The online Acts Table lists all acts made since 1901 plus any repealing information up to 2007.
Locate a copy of this publication:
Web Publications | NLA | NSW | SA | TAS | VIC | WA

Federal Statutes Annotations
1992-
This annual publication lists each Commonwealth Act and the amendments that have been made to it in the previous year, as well as various tables of recent acts and regulations. It has a separate volume entitled Federal statutes annotations. Repealed legislation. This publication was preceded by Federal Legislation Annotations 1990-1992.
Locate a copy of this publication:
NLA | NSW | NT | QLD | TAS | VIC | WA

State and Territory Laws - Retrospective Indexes

Locating older State acts, particularly from the 19th century, can be difficult if the year is not known. This is because legislation is published chronologically by year and most current indexes to legislation list only legislation in force, i.e. acts not repealed. Older acts which have been repealed are deleted from most current indexes. In addition, before the practice of citing acts by short titles, older acts were cited by slightly different titles. Lastly, State acts were originally numbered by regnal years and running numbers rather than by calendar year e.g. 26 Vic. no.1.

A listing of collections of 19th century state legislation may be found in Annotated bibliography of printed materials on Australian law 1788-1900, by Alex Castles, under the Index heading "Legislation". The list also includes separately published individual acts.

Most States have published retrospective chronological or alphabetical indexes which list ALL acts passed, their short titles and both calendar and regnal year. These enable researchers to verify and locate legislation in annual bound volumes.


Wicks Subject Index to Commonwealth Legislation
1988-
Published annually, this index includes regulations.
Locate a copy of this publication:
ACT | NLA | NSW | NT | QLD | VIC | WA

 

 

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