Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee
Scope
The Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee inquires into and reports upon various general matters referred to it by the Senate. Portfolios allocated to the committee since 2009 include Attorney-General, immigration, citizenship, border protection and home affairs.
Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee Chair Senator Louise Pratt tabling the report of the inquiry into legislative exemptions that allow faith-based educational institutions to discriminate against students, teachers and staff, 26 November 2018.
Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee roundtable for its inquiry into nationhood, national identity and democracy, 14 February 2020.
Reports
Date tabled
Title
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A possible contempt in relation to a witness
Parliamentary paper number 173/2009
Interim report - Australia’s Judicial System and the Role of Judges
Interim report - Access to Justice
Final Report: Australia’s Judicial System and the Role of Judges (presented out of session on 7 December 2009)
Parliamentary paper number 2/2010
Final Report: Access to Justice (presented out of session on 8 December 2009)
Parliamentary paper number 3/2010
Interim Report: Review of Government Compensation Payments (presented out of session on 23 July 2010)
References of the 42nd Parliament (re-adoption of the inquiry into: Review of Government Compensation Schemes; Donor conception practices in Australia)
Review of Government Compensation Payments (presented out of session on 6 December 2010)
Parliamentary paper number 5/2011
Donor conception practices in Australia
Parliamentary paper number 17/2011
Interim report: Australian Law Reform Commission (presented out of session on 31 March 2011)
Inquiry into the Australian Law Reform Commission (presented out of session on 8 April 2011)
Parliamentary paper number 77/2011
Interim report: Inquiry into the provisions of the Water Act 2007 (presented out of session on 6 June 2011)
A Balancing Act: provisions of the Water Act 2007 (presented out of session on 10 June 2011)
Parliamentary paper number 130/2011
Review of the National Classification Scheme: achieving the right balance
Parliamentary paper number 160/2011
'Audio [duration 24:12] - 'Art and censorship', ABC Radio Artworks program, 8 May 2011.
Australia's arrangement with Malaysia in relation to asylum seekers
Parliamentary paper number 270/2011
International parental child abduction to and from Australia
Parliamentary paper number 274/2011
Unauthorised disclosure of proceedings relating to the committee's inquiry into Australia's arrangement with Malaysia on asylum seekers
Parliamentary paper number 445/2011
Interim report: Marriage visa classes (presented out of session on 7 June 2012)
Prospective Marriage visa program
Parliamentary paper number 145/2012
Detention of Indonesian minors in Australia (presented out of session on 4 October 2012)
Parliamentary paper number 257/2012
Impact of federal court fee increases since 2010 on access to justice in Australia
Parliamentary paper number 202/2013
Interim report: Framework and operation of subclass 457 visas, Enterprise Migration Agreements and Regional Migration Agreements (presented out of session on 3 June 2013)
Interim report: Impact of federal court fee increases since 2010 on access to justice in Australia (presented out of session on 6 June 2013)
Second interim report: Impact of federal court fee increases since 2010 on access to justice in Australia (presented out of session on 12 June 2013)
Value of a justice reinvestment approach to criminal justice in Australia
Parliamentary paper number 203/2013
Framework and operation of subclass 457 visas, Enterprise Migration Agreements and Regional Migration Agreements
Parliamentary paper number 211/2013
A claim of public interest immunity raised over documents (presented out of session on 21 February 2014)
A claim of public interest immunity raised over documents
Parliamentary paper number 30/2014
Current investigative processes and powers of the Australian Federal Police in relation to non-criminal matters
Parliamentary paper number 124/2014
Interim report: Comprehensive revision of the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979
Interim report: Incident at the Manus Island Detention Centre from 16 February to 18 February 2014 (presented out of session on 5 December 2014)
Incident at the Manus Island Detention Centre from 16 February to 18 February 2014 (presented out of session on 11 December 2014)
Parliamentary paper number 48/2015
Comprehensive revision of the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979
Parliamentary paper number 72/2015
Work undertaken by the Australian Federal Police's Oil for Food Taskforce
Parliamentary paper number 71/2015
Ability of Australian law enforcement authorities to eliminate gun-related violence in the community (presented out of session on 9 April 2015)
Parliamentary paper number 104/2015
Matter of a popular vote, in the form of a plebiscite or referendum, on the matter of marriage in Australia (Corrigendum presented out of session on 21 September 2015 and 8 October 2015)
Parliamentary paper number 242/2015
Handling of a letter sent by Mr Man Haron Monis to the Attorney-General
Parliamentary paper number 244/2015
Impact of the 2014 and 2015 Commonwealth Budget decisions on the Arts (Corrigendum presented out of session on 14 December 2015)
Parliamentary paper number 478/2015
Phenomenon colloquially referred to as 'revenge porn' (Corrigendum tabled 17 March 2016)
Parliamentary paper number 69/2016
Audio [duration 3:46] - 'Revenge porn should be criminalised says Senate committee', ABC News, 26 February 2016.
Use of smoke alarms to prevent smoke and fire related deaths (presented out of session on 20 April 2016)
Parliamentary paper number 159/2016
Interim report: Payment of cash or other inducements by the Commonwealth of Australia in exchange for the turn back of asylum seeker boats
Parliamentary paper number 191/2016
Interim report: Conditions and treatment of asylum seekers and refugees at the regional processing centres in the Republic of Nauru and Papua New Guinea (presented out of session on 5 May 2016)
Parliamentary paper number 216/2016
Establishment of a national registration system for Australian paramedics to improve and ensure patient and community safety (presented out of session on 5 May 2016)
Parliamentary paper number 217/2016
Interim report: Need for a nationally-consistent approach to alcohol-fuelled violence (presented out of session on 5 May 2016)
Parliamentary paper number 218/2016
Nature and scope of the consultations prior to the making of the Legal Services Amendment (Solicitor-General Opinions) Direction 2016
Parliamentary paper number 379/2016
Audio [duration 2:24] - 'Senate committee recommends Brandis be censured over Gleeson dispute', ABC Radio PM program, 8 November 2016.
Interim report: Nature and scope of any agreement reached by the Commonwealth and Western Australian governments in relation to the distribution of proceeds of the liquidation of, and litigation concerning, the Bell Group of companies (the proceeds)
Report to the Senate on compliance with motion 274:Nature & scope of any agreement reached by the C’wealth & WA govts in relation to the distribution of proceeds of the liquidation of, and litigation concerning, the Bell Group of companies (the proceeds)
Parliamentary paper number 79/2017
Serious allegations of abuse, self-harm and neglect of asylum seekers in relation to the Nauru Regional Processing Centre, and any like allegations in relation to the Manus Regional Processing Centre (Presented out of session on 21 April 2017)
Parliamentary paper number 107/2017
Final report: Nature and scope of any agreement reached by the Commonwealth and Western Australian governments in relation to the distribution of proceeds of the liquidation of, and litigation concerning, the Bell Group of companies (the proceeds)
Parliamentary paper number 187/2017
Law of contempt
Parliamentary paper number 518/2017
Whether the conduct of the Minister for Communications (Senator Fifield) conformed to the principles of the Ministerial Code of Conduct in relation to his knowledge of former Senator Parry’s dual-citizenship status
Parliamentary paper number 537/2017
Adequacy of existing offences in the Commonwealth Criminal Code and of state and territory criminal laws to capture cyberbullying
Parliamentary paper number 98/2018
Allegations concerning the inappropriate exercise of ministerial powers, with respect to the visa status of au pairs, and related matters
Parliamentary paper number 296/2018
Audio [duration 7:05] - 'Senate inquiry finds Peter Dutton mislead Parliament over au-pair saga', ABC Radio RN Breakfast, 20 September 2018.
Legislative exemptions that allow faith-based educational institutions to discriminate against students, teachers and staff
Parliamentary paper number 553/2018
Practice of dowry and the incidence of dowry abuse in Australia
Parliamentary paper number 58/2019
Progress report: Effectiveness of the current temporary skilled visa system in targeting genuine skills shortages (presented out of session on 29 March2019)
Effectiveness of the current temporary skilled visa system in targeting genuine skills shortages
Parliamentary paper number 154/2019
Resolution of disputes with financial service providers within the justice system (presented out of session on 8 April 2019)
Parliamentary paper number 169/2019
Impact of changes to service delivery models on the administration and running of Government programs
Parliamentary paper number 53/2020
Domestic violence with particular regard to violence against women and their children (presented out of session on 19 May 2020)
Nationhood, national identity and democracy
Parliamentary paper number 24/2021
Efficacy, fairness, timeliness and costs of the processing and granting of visa classes which provide for or allow for family and partner reunions
Parliamentary paper number 74/2022
Adequacy and efficacy of Australia's anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) regime
Parliamentary paper number 94/2022
Interim report: Performance and integrity of Australia's administrative review system (presented out of session on 31 March 2022)
Progress report: Application of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Australia (presented out of session on 30 June 2022)
Missing and murdered First Nations women and children (presented out of session on 30 June 2022)
Parliamentary paper number 190/2022
Performance and integrity of Australia's administrative review system (presented out of session on 30 June 2022)
Parliamentary paper number 191/2022
Current and proposed sexual consent laws in Australia
Operation of Commonwealth Freedom of Information (FOI) laws
COVID-19 Royal Commission (presented out of session on 19 April 2024)
Missing and murdered First Nations women and children
Right wing extremist movements in Ausltralia (presented out of session on 6 December 2024)
Interim report: Australia's youth justice and incarceration system (presented out of session on 28 February 2025)
Australia's youth justice and incarceration system (presented out of session on 3 June 2025)
