Mowen v Australian Electoral Commission

[2016] QCA 152

Queensland Court of Appeal

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Interrogate

Catchwords

1. Constitutional Law (Cth)
2. › Operation and effect of the Commonwealth Constitution
3. › Validity of laws of the Commonwealth
4. › Whether Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Cth) invalid for inconsistency with Constitution
5. › Whether s 93 inconsistent with s 34 of Constitution
6. › Whether Parliament's power to 'otherwise provide' under s 34 authorises change to age qualification
7. › Commonwealth Constitution, ss 30, 34
8. › Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Cth), ss 93, 163, 245
1. Constitutional Law (Cth)
2. › Trial by jury
3. › Section 80 of Constitution
4. › Whether summary offence requires trial by jury
5. › Whether s 80 applies only to trial on indictment
6. › Commonwealth Constitution, s 80
7. › Crimes Act 1914 (Cth), ss 4G, 4H
1. Practice and Procedure
2. › Appeals
3. › Leave to appeal
4. › Application for leave under s 118 District Court of Queensland Act 1967 (Qld)
5. › Whether necessary to correct substantial injustice
6. › Whether reasonable argument of error
7. › Constitutional arguments wholly without merit
8. › District Court of Queensland Act 1967 (Qld), s 118

Quick Take

The case confirms that s 34 of the Constitution, by its express words 'until the Parliament otherwise provides', authorises the Commonwealth Parliament to change the age qualification for members of the House of Representatives, and that s 93 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Cth) setting the voting age at 18 is constitutionally valid. Constitutional arguments that are plainly without merit do not require s 78B notices to Attorneys-General.