Australian Constitutional Law: Foundations and Theory explains and evaluates the Australian constitutional system in relation to the classical principles of constitutional government such as the rule of law, separation of powers, representation, executive responsibility, federalism and fundamental rights. In this third edition, Suri Ratnapala is joined by Jonathan Crowe as co-author, and the book has been fully revised and expanded. This includes wider coverage of: Australian Constitutionalism; Interpretation of the Constitution; Federal-State Relations; International Powers of the Commonwealth; Trade, Commerce and Industrial Relations; Constitutional Freedoms; and the Separation of Powers.

1. The Idea of a Constitution
2. Australian Constitutionalism: An Overview
3. A Parliamentary System of Government: The Idea of a Responsible Executive
4. Role of the Upper House in Parliamentary Democracy
5. The Representative Principle in Australian Constitutionalism
6. Separation of Powers: Australia’s Asymmetric Model
7. Separation of Judicial and Non-judicial Powers: Defining Judicial Power
8. The Rules that Separate Judicial and Non-judicial Powers: The Prohibitions
9. Rules of Separation: The Exceptions
10. Interpreting Commonwealth Legislative Powers: Textualism, Originalism or Underlying Principles?
11. Federal-State relations
12. Trade, Commerce and Industrial Relations
13. Taxation, Appropriation and Spending
14. The International Powers of the Commonwealth: Defence and External Affairs
15. Constitutional Rights and Freedoms

Suri Ratnapala - Professor of Public Law in the TC Beirne School of Law at the University of Queensland
Jonathan Crowe - Senior Lecturer in the TC Beirne School of Law at the University of Queensland