George Williams
George Williams is one of Australia's leading constitutional lawyers, having worked for many years as an academic and barrister in the High Court. He is the Anthony Mason Professor of law and Foundation Director of the Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law at the University of NSW, and has written and edited 22 books on topics such as human rights, anti-terror law, the High Court, electoral law and constitutional law
No death penalty, no shades of grey
George Williams The Death Penalty Abolition Bill, debated in Federal Parliament last week, is the most important initiative on the death penalty for decades.
Stuck in an unfair federal system
George Williams Last week's High Court decision in the Arnold case reveals major problems with Australia's structure of government when it comes to the Murray-Darling basin.
Change will only come if leaders can agree
George Williams Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott have been trading blows on constitutional change. This is long overdue.
Past time to cut ties with the monarchy
George Williams Prince William's arrival yesterday reminds us of our constitutional future. After his father, he will be our king.
Debate the recall, but safeguard the system
George Williams The idea of recall elections for NSW has immediate popular appeal. However, I am yet to be convinced it would be a sensible addition to the state constitution.
New test promotes citizenship by rote
George Williams Australia's new citizenship test is a big improvement on the old exam. However, it still suffers from several problems, including basic errors.
Show of hands for call to arms
George Williams Australia should change the way it goes to war. The decision to send Australian troops to conflicts like Iraq and Afghanistan should not rest solely with the government of the day.
The people have spoken - and they want protection
George Williams The Brennan committee's recommendation that Australia have a national human rights act has provoked a counter-attack.
Time for a new debate on the republic
George Williams A decade after its defeat at the polls, the prospect of an Australian republic remains very much alive. The referendum loss on November 6, 1999, left many Australians dissatisfied.
League tables law is simply rank
George Williams First we had the Herald brazenly breaking the law last week by publishing a comparison of the test results of three schools, and next we were told there was a real possibility that the ban on...
Rudd is unlikely to be trigger happy
George Williams The prospect of a double dissolution has been talked up all year. Now it seems the legislation for an emissions trading scheme may finally provide the means to hold one.
Rudd unlikely to be trigger happy
George Williams Do not expect the Government to rush into calling a double-dissolution election.
There are more humane ways to die than starving
George Williams The right to die has been recognised in a landmark decision by the Chief Justice of Western Australia, Wayne Martin.
Curbs on campaign ads should not be beyond us
George Williams The political finance debate has overlooked a necessary part of any solution. In addition to reforming how political parties are funded and how much they can spend, we must tackle their need for...
Health reform needs a federal fix first
George Williams We all pay for having a broken federal system through healthcare that fails to live up to its promise. Now the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission has presented a bold vision of reform.
A better way to choose judges
George Williams In a recent speech In Praise of Unelected Judges, the High Court Chief Justice, Robert French, reopened debate on how judges are appointed. He was right to do so.
Pyrrhic victory may help Stewart
George Williams The former state minister Tony Stewart suffered a setback on Friday in his legal battle to restore his reputation.
How to get rid of them
George Williams THE NSW Constitution says Parliament is elected every four years and fixes the date for the poll, so we know the next election is set to be held on March 26, 2011.
