Centre for Comparative Constitutional Studies
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Find our recent presentations and articles by CCCS members
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Read CCCS submissions to the Senate and Parliamentary Inquiries
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Read the latest edition of the CCCS newsletter: December 2021
- About CCCS
The Centre for Comparative Constitutional Studies (CCCS) undertakes and promotes research on constitutional law and government and provides a focal point for scholars and practitioners interested in these areas.
Find out more - 2021 CCCS Constitutional Law Conference
The Centre for Comparative Constitutional Studies' Biennial Conference
Find out more - Upcoming Events
Find out what's coming up at CCCS
Find out more - Recent Events
Find out about recent event here
Find out more - Laureate Program in Comparative Constitutional LawFind out more
- Constitution Transformation NetworkFind out more
- Public Law Conference 2018Find out more
Directors
- Professor Adrienne Stone
Co-Director
ARC Kathleen Fitzpatrick Laureate Fellow
Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor
- Professor Jason Varuhas
Co-Director
Foundation Director of CCCS
Research Centre Members
- Professor Farrah Ahmed
- Professor Michael Crommelin AO
Zelman Cowan Professor of Law
- Associate Professor Tom Daly
Deputy Director, Melbourne School of Government
- Professor Alison Duxbury
Deputy Dean, Melbourne Law School
- Professor Michelle Foster
- Professor Jeremy Gans
- Professor Beth Gaze
- Professor Jeffrey Goldsworthy
Professorial Fellow (MLS), Emeritus Professor (Monash)
- Professor Kirsty Gover
- Professor Tarun Khaitan
ARC Future Fellow, Associate Director of the Asian Law Centre
- Professor Pip Nicholson
Dean, Melbourne Law School and William Hearn Professor of Law
- Dr Paula O'Brien
- Associate Professor William Partlett
- Associate Professor Glenn Patmore
- Professor Jeff Redding
Senior Research Associate
- Professor Kristen Rundle
- Dr Julian Sempill
- Professor Dale Smith
- Associate Professor Scott Stephenson
- Professor Joo-Cheong Tham
- Associate Professor Lael Weis
- Professor Margaret Young
Post-doctoral Fellows
- Dr Erika Arban
ARC Laureate Program in Comparative Constitutional Law
- Dr Dinesha Samararatne
ARC Laureate Program in Comparative Constitutional Law
Graduate Researchers
- Darshan Datar
PhD Candidate
- Phoebe Galbally
PhD Candidate
- Julian Murphy
PhD Candidate
- Elizabeth Hicks
PhD Candidate
- Joshua Snukal
PhD Candidate
- Toerien Van Wyk
PhD Candidate
JD Research Associates
Visitors
The CCCS regularly hosts local and international visiting scholars.

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Major Research Projects
View the latest research projects
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Publications
View research publications by CCCS Staff.
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Collaboration and Consultancy
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Laureate Program in Comparative Constitutional Law
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Constitution Transformation Network
The Constitution Transformation Network brings together researchers and practitioners to explore the phenomenon of constitutional transformation
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BIICL-MLS Conference
Melbourne Law School is Australia's first all-graduate faculty. The Melbourne Law School was the first faculty in Australia to teach law, and awarded this country's first law degrees. We have now committed ourselves to build on our more than 150 year history of excellence and innovation by shifting from undergraduate legal education to the global standard, graduate level Juris Doctor degree.
Faculty members associated with the Centre for Comparative Constitutional Studies teach in all programs of the Law School and supervise graduate researchers.
Public Law in the Melbourne Law Masters
A line-up of subjects in public law in the Melbourne Law Masters for the second part of the year 2020 is now open for enrolments.
Most of the MLM subjects at Melbourne Law School will be offered online for the rest of 2020. The subjects will be taught intensively, over a five day period, offering lawyers and others in related fields the opportunity to immerse themselves in the latest developments in public law from home or their place of work. As always, the teachers in MLM subjects are international leaders in their fields. The delivery of subjects will encourage lively engagement between class participants from around Australia and the world.
The 2020 selection of public law subjects reflects the changing nature and complexity of the field, the diversity of global experience, and the interdependence of domestic and international law. The range is wide enough to enable students to specialise in areas that suit their own interests: for example, in Australian public law, administrative law, comparative public law, public international law or aspects of post-conflict state-building. All subjects are highly topical. Several, including Multi-Level Government, will also examine law and policy through a COVID-19 lens.
Subjects may be taken towards the LLM, the Masters of Public and International Law, the Graduate Diploma in Government Law or as single subjects.
The Directors of Studies would be happy to advise on subject selection: Cheryl Saunders (c.saunders@unimelb.edu.au), Jason Varuhas (Jason.varuhas@unimelb.edu.au), Sundhya Pahuja (s.pahuja@unimelb.edu.au).
Public Law subjects, second semester 2020:
- Freedom of Speech – July
- International Law – July
- Multi-level Government – August
- Government Liability – August
- Law and Public Administration – September
- Judicial Reasoning – September
- Law of Democracy – October
- Post-Conflict State-Building – October
- Royal Commissions and Public Inquiries – November
- International Humanitarian Law – December
*Students may be approved to take other MLM subjects outside the formal specialisation.
For further information please visit: https://study.unimelb.edu.au/find/courses/graduate/graduate-diploma-in-government-law;
https://study.unimelb.edu.au/find/courses/graduate/master-of-public-and-international-law
For up to date information on the full second semester suite of MLM courses see: https://law.unimelb.edu.au/students/enrolment/dates/mlm-elective-subject-quotas
MLS Programs
More information on programs at Melbourne Law School:
Research Supervisions
Academics associated with the CCCS supervise research projects in a broad range of areas. For information on Centre staff interests, please click here.
Post-doctoral Fellowships
CCCS is keen to support young researchers. Opportunities for Post-doctoral fellowships arise annually. For more information, please click here.
Prospective Graduate Researchers should get in touch with the Melbourne Law School Office for Research.
The CCCS provides both public and specialist resources on constitutional concepts and issues. We also hold a series of lectures throughout the year, known as the CCCS Seminar Series.
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Global Public Law Seminar Series
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Constitutional Café
A podcast about constitutions and constitutional law globally.
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Newsletters & Annual Reports
Read about recent CCCS news and events.
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The Constitution and Public Affairs
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Laureate Program in Comparative Constitutional Law
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Victorian Charter of Human Rights
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External Links
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Constitution Transformation Network
Learn about the Constitution Transformation Network
Visitors
The CCCS regularly hosts local and international visiting scholars.

- Crommelin M., Rundle K., Saunders C., Supplementary Submission to the Senate Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation Committee Inquiry into the Exemption of Delegated Legislation From Parliamentary Oversight, 10 September 2020
- Crommelin M., Rundle K., Saunders C., Stone A., Bateman, S., Submission to The Senate Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation Committee Inquiry into The Exemption of Delegated Legislation from Parliamentary Oversight, 25 June 2020
- Crommelin M., Rundle K., Saunders C., Stone A., Bateman, S., Submission to The Senate Select Committee on COVID-19, 28 May 2020
- Crommelin M., Saunders C., Submission to The Senate Select Committee on Administration of Sports Grants, 21 February 2020
- Rundle K., Saunders C., Submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee Inquiry into The impact of changes to service delivery models on the administration and running of Government programs, 23 August 2019
- Rundle K., Saunders C., Stone A., Supplementary Submission to the Joint Select Committee Inquiry into Constitutional Recognition Relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, 5 October 2018
- Gover K., Morris S., Rundle K., Saunders C., Stone A., Further Submission to the Joint Select Committee Inquiry into Constitutional Recognition Relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, 21 September 2018
- Gover K., Morris S., Rundle K., Saunders C., Stone A., Submission to Joint Committee on Constitutional Recognition Relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, 15 June 2018
- Stone A., Kirkby, C., Saunders, A., Quinn-Watson, J., Submission to theParliament Joint Committee on Human Rights’ Inquiry Into Freedom of Speech in Australia, 23 December 2016
- Gaze, B. and others, (Discrimination Law Experts Group), Submission to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights on the Inquiry of Freedom of speech in Australia , 23 December 2016
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Gaze, B., Submission to the Senate Employment and Education Committee on the Inquiry into the Fair Work Amendment (Gender Pay Gap) Bill 2015, 26 February 2016
Following the submission, Professor Gaze:
- Appeared by invitation to give evidence at Committee’s Melbourne hearings: 26 November 2016. Full submission
- Was quoted in the report at pp 3, 5, 6, 9-10, 15-16, 26-27, 29, 33 and dissenting report at 43, 45.
- Stone A., Speaking notes at the ALRC Symposium, 'Fair trial, procedural fairness and other traditional rights', 30 September 2015
- Gover, K. Kirkby, C., Completed for the Department of Premier and Cabinet, Victoria the Treaty Fact Sheet, 2016
- Gover, K. Kirkby, C., Completed for the Department of Premier and Cabinet, Victoria the Representative Structures Fact Sheet , 2016
- Stone, A., Saunders, C., Saunders, A., Submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee on the Inquiry into the matter of a popular vote, in the form of a plebiscite or referendum, on the matter of marriage in Australia, 4 September 2015
- CCCS, Submission to the PJCIS on the Inquiry into the Australian Citizenship Amendment (Allegiance to Australia) Bill 2015, 17 July 2015
- Stone, A., Submission to the Australian Law Reform Commission Freedoms Inquiry in Response to IP 46 Traditional Rights and Freedoms - Encroachments by Commonwealth Laws, 6 March 2015
- Stone, A., Saunders, C., Evans, C., Crommelin, M., Proposal to the Expert Panel on Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples on the Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in the Constitution, 1 March 2013
- Stone A., Submission to Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee on the Exposure Draft of Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012 (hereinafter Draft Bill), 21 December 2012
- Saunders, C., Stone, A., Advice provided to the Asian Human Rights Commission, 17 December 2012
- Duxbury, A., Submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs on the Inquiry into the Military Court of Australia Bill 2012 and the Military Court of Australia (Transitional Provisions and Consequential Amendments) Bill 2012, 13 July 2012
- Stone, A., Saunders, C., Evans, S., Gover, K., Lino, D., Patmore, G., Submission to the Expert Panel on Constitutional Recognition of Indigenous Australians on Constitutional Recognition of Indigenous Australians, 11 October 2010
- Stone, A., Saunders, C., Evans, S., Submission to the Constitution Committee, House of Lords, United Kingdom on the Inquiry into Fixed Term Parliaments, 24 September 2010
- Stone, A., Evans, C., Saunders, C., Evans, S., Submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs in relation to the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Bill 2010, 11 July 2010
Forthcoming events
The Centre for Comparative Constitutional Studies hosts a series of conferences, workshops, seminars and events throughout the year. Subscribe to our mailing list to be informed of the latest events via link here.
2018-2021 Past Events
The Centre for Comparative Constitutional Studies hosted a series of conferences, seminars, webinars and lectures.
- WednesdayA Discussion of Victoria’s Pandemic BillWebinar recording available
- WednesdayThe High Court of Australia and Civil LibertiesWebinar recording available
- FridayCCCS 2021 Conference Keynote AddressVideo recording available
- TuesdayThe Jim Carlton Annual Integrity Lecture 2021Audio recording available
- TuesdayBook Launch: The Frontiers of Public LawWebinar - Recording Available
- TuesdayBook Panel: Constitutional Change in the Contemporary Socialist WorldWebinar - Recording Available
- TuesdayReforming Tax Sharing in the FederationWebinar - Recording Available
- Tuesday2019 Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia Fay Gale Lecture: The Two University Freedoms: Academic Freedom and Freedom Of SpeechPresented by Professor Adrienne Stone
- FridayCCCS Constitutional Law Conference 2019The Hon. Kenneth M. Hayne Speech Text Available
- Thursday2019 Allen Hope Southey Memorial LecturePublic Lecture - Recording Available
- TuesdayThe Future of Law Reform: Constitutional and Immigration IssuesPublic Seminar - Recording Available
- TuesdayThe Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman: Four Decades OnPublic Seminar - Recording Available
- ThursdayThe Next Long Wave of Reform: Where will the Ideas Come From?Public Lecture - Recording Available
- ThursdaySocialist Law in Socialist East Asia - Book LaunchBook Launch
- ThursdayBook Launch "Foundations of Indirect Discrimination Law" edited by Hugh Collins and Tarun Khaitan, launched by The Honourable Michael Kirby AC CMGBook Launch
- TuesdayCitizenship and Constitutional Law: Reflections on a Complex RelationshipSeminar
- MondayRadical Heart by Shireen Morris - Book LaunchBook Launch
- Wednesday - FridayPublic Law ConferenceSeminar
- TuesdayGuidance on how to Make a submission to the Joint Select Committee Inquiry into Constitutional Recongnition Relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander PeoplesSeminar
- TuesdayPreferring Buddhism, Constitutionally: Buddhism, Secularism and the Pyrrhic Constitutionalism of Sri LankaSeminar

Past events (2012–2017)
The Centre for Comparative Constitutional Studies organises conferences, public lectures, seminars and workshop.
- Postal Address
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Centre for Comparative Constitutional Studies (CCCS)
Melbourne Law School
The University of Melbourne VIC 3010
Australia - Location
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Law Building (BLDG#106)
185 Pelham Street
Carlton VIC 3053 - Telephone
- +61 3 8344 4799
- law-cccs@unimelb.edu.au
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