Collaboration and Consultancy
The Centre collaborates closely with Law School colleagues and other specialist centres and institutes within the University of Melbourne who have interests in public law, in particular:
- Institute of International Law and the Humanities
- Centre for Media and Communications Law
- The Australian Centre
- Centre for Public Policy
The Centre for Comparative Constitutional Studies and its members also undertake consultancy work for public and private sector organisations on public law topics. Some consultancies are undertaken on a pro bono basis.
From 1992 until its conclusion in December 2000, the Centre acted as research consultant for the Constitutional Centenary Foundation. The Constitutional Centenary Foundation was established in 1991, following a conference to commemorate the National Australasian Convention of 1891, for which the Centre provided the secretariat. The Foundation's role was to encourage an informed public debate on the Australian system of government in the approach to the constitutional centenary. Professor Cheryl Saunders was the Deputy Chair of the Foundation and Anne Mullins was principally responsible for liaison with the Foundation. The Centre's work for the Foundation included:
- Preparing major papers in connection with Foundation projects;
- Preparing advice on constitutional matters;
- Undertaking reserach and preparing speech notes on constitutional issues;
- Providing background briefings to the media on constitutional issues;
- Writing and editing material for the Foundation's newsletter, web site and other publications;
- Answering queries and providing material to Foundation members and members of the public;
- Undertaking speaking activities at the request of the Foundation;
- Developing and maintaining a library collection of material relevant to the Foundation's objectives.
The Centre has undertaken a number of other consultancies including:
- Preparing of a paper on implementation options for national legislative schemes in public health for the Department of Human Services (Vic) and the Legislative Review Working Group;
- Supervising of a research and biliographical project on indigenous people and the Australian constitution funded by the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation for the Constitutional Centenary Foundation;
- Advising on the Forests Scoping Agreement for Australians for Animals;
- Comparative analysis and advice on a national framework for regional agreements for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission;
- Preparing of a discussion paper on governance of Victoria Police for the Police Board of Victoria;
- Preparing of a successful tender bid for an AUSAid training project for Vietnamese nationals for the Law School, University of Melbourne.
Those interested in discussing consultancy or collaborative projects are invited to contact the Director, Professor Adrienne Stone.