Democracy in Decline: Are our constitutional protections enough
Tuesday 31 March 2026
Democracy is in decline around the world. Can the Australian Constitution help us avoid a similar fate? What role can integrity watchdogs play in safeguarding our democracy? Deborah Glass OBE and Associate Professor William Partlett were joined by Jon Faine AM to discuss how our constitutional system can be designed to safeguard against the global decline of democracy.
As part of this discussion, Associate Professor Partlett discussed his new co-authored book, 'The People’s Guide to the Australian Constitution'. Deborah Glass OBE previewed her forthcoming publication on how to ensure the independence of integrity agencies.
This seminar was hosted by the Centre for Comparative Constitutional Studies at Melbourne Law School on Tuesday 31 March 2026.
About the panel
Deborah Glass OBE was the Victorian Ombudsman, appointed to a 10-year term in 2014, responsible for investigations into Victorian government departments, local councils and statutory bodies. Deborah is currently an Expert Fellow with the Centre for Public Integrity and an Honorary Fellow at the Melbourne Law School. She will soon be publishing an article on how to secure independent integrity agencies.
William Partlett is an Associate Professor at Melbourne Law School, Co-Director of the Centre for Comparative Constitutional Studies, and Stephen Charles Fellow at the Centre for Public Integrity. He writes and teaches in the field of public law. Associate Professor Partlett’s research takes a historical and comparative approach to questions of public law. He is particularly interested in the role of constitutional structure in ensuring democratic governance.
Jon Faine AM started his professional life as a solicitor in commercial litigation in private practice for four years, then with Fitzroy Legal Service for three. After that, he hosted the agenda-setting morning broadcast for ABC Radio in Melbourne for over twenty years.