[UMA-SR-000000861] ACC 6 Standing Committee 'D' Files

Description

IdentifierUMA-SR-000000861Extent17 filesScope and ContentStanding Committee D was constituted by the 1973 ACC and initially included two delegates of the Australian Parliament, two delegates from each State, and a representative of local government. The Convention resolved at its 1978 plenary session in Perth that one member from the Northern Territory Delegation and one member from the ACT Delegation be added to Standing Committee D; and also that two members of the Senate (one Government, one Opposition) be added to Standing Committee D during consideration of the matter of the Senate and Supply which was referred to the Committee by the Perth Convention.

Items 8, 10 and 12 under the heading 'Topics for Discussion' on the 1973 Convention Agenda were referred to Standing Committee D. These Items were:

Item No. 8

The Constitutional Provisions governing the Parliament of the Commonwealth, with particular reference to -
(a) the relationship between the Senate and the House of Representatives (ss. 24, 57); (b)elections and electoral divisions (ss. 29, 30, 41); and
(c) the synchronisation of elections for the Senate and House of Representatives.

Item No. 10

Constitutional guarantees under the Constitution, including guarantees of democratic processes of election for the Parliaments of the Commonwealth and the States.

Item No. 12

The judicial power of the Commonwealth, with particular reference to -
(a) the appointment of High Court judges;
(b) the power of the High Court to give advisory opinions;
(c) the judicial system.

Standing Committee D considered and reported on the above Items and on other matters which arose, such as matters later referred to it by the Executive Committee and the Convention. Continuing to meet until 1983, Standing Committee D was the longest-lived of the four standing committees appointed in 1973.

At its first meeting, Standing Committee D appointed an Agenda Sub-Committee. The Agenda Committee agreed by correspondence on the Agenda for the second meeting of Standing Committee D and approved a list of recommendations relating to matters for which

the Standing Committee was responsible. At further meetings up to 1974, Standing Committee D considered these recommendations and prepared its first Report to Executive Committee, 1 August 1974.

Standing Committee D subsequently appointed a Judicature Committee, whose Interim Report was tabled at the 1976 Convention in Hobart. The Judicature Committee completed a further Report to Standing Committee D in 1977.

Standing Committee D presented its Second Report on 1 October 1976. At the plenary session in Hobart later in October 1976, the Convention referred a motion and amendment to Standing Committee D for consideration, which became the subject of a Special Report to the Executive Committee on The Senate and Supply, tabled at the 1978 Convention in Perth along with the Third Report of Standing Committee D.

The Perth Convention also referred certain matters to Standing Committee D for consideration and report. These matters were covered in the Committee's Fourth Report, 27 August 1982. Certain proposals relating to Territories and new States were initially referred by the Perth Convention to Standing Committee B, but as that committee no longer existed Standing Committee D was requested to consider the issues.

In 1980, Standing Committee D appointed an Advisory Opinions Sub-Committee to confer with members of the Senate Standing Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs on advisory opinions of the High Court. A Conventions Sub-Committee was appointed in 1980, and re-appointed in 1981. A Jurisdiction of Courts Sub-Committee, a Territories Sub- Committee and a Sub-Committee on Terms of the Parliament were also appointed in 1981.
The reports of these sub-committees were incorporated in the Fourth Report of Standing Committee D. The Committee produced a Supplementary Fourth Report in 1983, which comprised a Supplementary Report of the Jurisdiction of Courts Sub-Committee with accompanying comments from Standing Committee D.

A Legislative Powers Sub-Committee was appointed in February 1983 to examine and compile material relating to certain items appearing on the Agenda Paper for the forthcoming Adelaide plenary session. (This Sub-Committee reported verbally to the next meeting of Standing Committee D and drew attention to relevant background papers.)

Printed reports produced by Standing Committee D and its sub-committees, together with various papers and opinions, were bound with the Proceedings of the ACC, 1975, 1976, 1978 and 1983, and/or issued separately. Membership lists, correspondence, agendas, minutes, and some of the papers and reports can be found in files in this series.

The series falls into the following categories:

Members: Lists of members of Standing Committee D.

Correspondence: Letters, memoranda, telegrams, notes and miscellaneous papers relating to meetings and matters considered by Standing Committee D and its sub-committees. The

correspondence includes original inward letters to and copies of outward letters from the Chief Executive Officer, Assistants to the Chief Executive Officer, the Chairmen of Standing Committee D, and the Secretary to the Victorian Parliamentary Delegation (Ann Riordan).
There are some letters from and copies of letters to the Secretary to Standing Committee D (Geoff Muecke). The collection also contains copies of other correspondence for information; agendas and minutes; submissions; copies of draft reports; comments on reports.

Agendas and Minutes: Agendas, minutes, and associated papers, notes and reports.

Reference Material: Background and miscellaneous resource material connected with the terms of reference and work of Standing Committee D and its Judicature Committee.

Reports and Papers: Drafts and printed versions of reports and papers of Standing Committee D and its sub-committees, together with comments, amendments and other material. The majority of these files relate to the Fourth Report of Standing Committee D, 27 August 1982.Access StatusOpen for public accessRequest Access to RecordsRequest records from this Series

Provenance

CreatorAustralian Constitutional ConventionRoleProvenance

Provenance

CreatorFinemore, JohnRoleProvenance

Dates

Date1973-1983

Relationships

Preceding Series[UMA-SR-000000859] ACC 4 Standing Committee 'B' FilesRelated Series[UMA-SR-000000857] ACC 2 Executive Committee Files[UMA-SR-000000874] ACC 19 Printed Proceedings, Reports and Papers[UMA-SR-000000873] ACC 18 Minutes of the ACC[UMA-SR-000000884] ACC 29 Papers on Agenda Items[UMA-SR-000000889] ACC 34 Research Files[UMA-SR-000000890] ACC 35 Papers re the Origins, Organisation and Achi[UMA-SR-000000891] ACC 36 Secretariat Correspondence

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[UMA-SR-000000861] ACC 6 Standing Committee 'D' Files