Chapter 1 - Introduction and background

[1] Journals of the Senate No. 7, 15 September 2016, pp. 214-215.

[2]        Attorney-General's Department, Legal Services Directions and Guidance Notes, https://www.ag.gov.au/LegalSystem/LegalServicesCoordination/Pages/Legalservicesdirectionsandguidancenotes.aspx (accessed 1 November 2016).

[3]        Journals of the Senate No. 153, 4 May 2016, p. 4246.

[4]        Legal Services Amendment (Solicitor-General Opinions) Direction 2016, Explanatory Statement (ES), p. 1.

[5]        ES, p. 3.

[6]        It is noted that the Act is incorrectly named in the Explanatory Statement as the Legislative Instruments Act 2003.

[7]        ES, pp. 1–2.

[8]        Senator the Hon George Brandis QC, Attorney-General, Senate Hansard, 10 October 2016, p. 37.

[9]        Laura Tingle, 'George Brandis in bitter legal fight goes to rule of law', Australian Financial  Review, 16 June 2016, http://www.afr.com/news/politics/george-brandis-in-bitter-legal-fight-goes-to-rule-of-law-20160616-gpkvyv (accessed 1 November 2016).

[10]      Laura Tingle, 'George Brandis in bitter legal fight goes to rule of law', Australian Financial  Review, 16 June 2016, http://www.afr.com/news/politics/george-brandis-in-bitter-legal-fight-goes-to-rule-of-law-20160616-gpkvyv (accessed 1 November 2016).

[11]      Laura Tingle, 'George Brandis in bitter legal fight goes to rule of law', Australian Financial  Review, 16 June 2016, http://www.afr.com/news/politics/george-brandis-in-bitter-legal-fight-goes-to-rule-of-law-20160616-gpkvyv (accessed 1 November 2016).

[12]      Journals of the Senate No. 5, 13 September 2016, p. 166.

[13]      Senate Standing Committee on Regulations and Ordinances, Delegated Legislation Monitor 6 of 2016, 14 September 2016, pp. 24-25.

[14]      Mr Justin Gleeson SC, Solicitor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia to Senator the Hon George Brandis QC, Attorney-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, correspondence sent 24 October 2016.

[15]      Mr Justin Gleeson SC, Solicitor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia to Senator the Hon George Brandis QC, Attorney-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, correspondence sent 24 October 2016.

Views of the Attorney-General

[1]        Senator the Hon George Brandis QC, Attorney-General of the Commonwealth of Australia (Attorney-General), Submission 5, p. 3.

[2]        Submission 5, p. 3.

[3]        Submission 5, p. 4.

[4]        Submission 5, p. 5.

[5]        Submission 5, p. 5. Emphasis added.

[6]        Submission 5, p. 5.

[7]        Submission 5, p. 5.

[8]        Submission 5, p. 5.

[9]        Submission 5, p. 5.

[10]       Mr Chris Moraitis PSM, Secretary, Attorney-General's Department, answers to questions on notice, 3 November 2016 (received 7 November 2016), p. 5.

[11]      Committee Hansard, 5 October 2016, p.11.

[12]      Mr Chris Moraitis PSM, Secretary, Attorney-General's Department, answers to questions on notice, 3 November 2016 (received 7 November 2016), p. 5.

[13]      Submission 5, p. 5.

[14]      Submission 5, p. 6.

[15]      Submission 5, p. 6.

[16]      Submission 5, p. 6. Emphasis added.

[17]      Legal Services Amendment (Solicitor-General Opinions) Direction 2016, Explanatory Statement (ES), p. 2.

[18]      Submission 5, p. 6.

[19]      Submission 5, p. 7.

[20]      Submission 5, p. 7.

[21]      Committee Hansard, 14 October 2016, p. 37.

[22]      Submission 5, p. 6.

[23]      Submission 5, p. 7.

[24]      Submission 5, p. 7.

[25]      Committee Hansard, 14 October 2016, p. 38.

[26]      Committee Hansard, 14 October 2016, p. 37.

[27]      Committee Hansard, 14 October 2016, pp. 47 and 51.

[28]      Committee Hansard, 14 October 2016, pp. 49 and 50.

[29]      Committee Hansard, 14 October 2016, p. 51.

[30]      Committee Hansard, 14 October 2016, p. 59.

[31]      Committee Hansard, 14 October 2016, p. 59.

[32]      Committee Hansard, 14 October 2016, p. 67.

Chapter 3 - Views of the Solicitor-General

[1]        Mr Justin Gleeson SC, Solicitor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, Submission 3, p. 8.

[2]        Mr Justin Gleeson SC, Solicitor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia to Senator the Hon George Brandis QC, Attorney-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, correspondence sent 12 November 2015.

[3]        Submission 3, p. 21.

[4]        The letter is attached to the submission of Mr Justin Gleeson SC, Solicitor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, Submission 3, pp. 19–21.

[5]        Submission 3, p. 9.

[6]        Submission 3, p. 9.

[7]        Submission 3, p. 10.

[8]        Submission 3, p. 10.

[9]        Submission 3, p. 9.

[10]      Submission 3, p. 9.

[11]      Mr Chris Moraitis PSM, Secretary, Attorney-General's Department, answers to questions on notice, 3 November 2016 (received 7 November 2016), p. 1.

[12]      Submission 3, p. 10.

[13]      Submission 3, p. 11.

[14]      Submission 3, p. 12.

[15]      Submission 3, p. 12.

[16]      Legal Services Amendment (Solicitor-General Opinions) Direction 2016, Explanatory Statement, p. 2.

[17]      These handwritten notes were provided as an attachment to the A-G's submission to this Inquiry.

[18]      Committee Hansard, 14 October 2016, p. 24.

[19]      Committee Hansard, 14 October 2016, p. 24.

[20]      Committee Hansard, 14 October 2016, pp. 25–26.

[21]      Submission 3, p. 12.

[22]      Committee Hansard, 14 October 2016, p. 24.

[23]      Dr Gabrielle Appleby, Associate Professor and Co-Director of the Judiciary Project, Gilbert and Tobin Centre of Public Law, UNSW, Submission 2,  pp. 7–8.

[24]      Submission 2, p. 8.

[25]      Committee Hansard, 5 October 2016, p. 1.

[26]      Sir Anthony Mason, 'The Parliament, the Executive and the Solicitor-General' in Gabrielle Appleby, Patrick Keyzer and John M Williams (eds) Public Sentinels: A Comparative Study of Australian Solicitors-General (2014), p. 50.

[27]      Dr Gavan Griffith QC, Submission 7, pp. 5 and 6.

[28]      Submission 7, p. 5.

[29]      Submission 7, p. 1.

[30]      Submission 7, p. 1.

[31]      Committee Hansard, 14 October 2016, p. 38.

[32]      Dr Andrew Edgar, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Sydney, Submission 6, p. 1.

[33]      Submission 6, pp. 1–2.

[34]      For example, it was held that notice provided to the consulted person should provide sufficient detail for the consulted person to provide an informed submission: Scurr v Brisbane City Council (1973) 133 CLR 242, 252; and that a new round of consultation should be carried out when substantial changes are made to a proposal after the initial consultation process is held: Leichhardt Council v Minister for Planning [No 2] (1995) 87 LGERA 78, 84, 88.

[35]      R v Brent London Borough Council; Ex parte Gunning (1985) 84 LGR 168, 189.

[36]      Submission 3, p. 15.

[37]      Submission 3, p. 15.

[38]      Submission 3, p. 15.

[39]      Submission 3, p. 15.

[40]      Submission 3, p. 16.

[41]      Submission 3, p. 16.

[42]      Submission 3, p. 16.

[43]      Submission 3, p. 16.

[44]      Submission 3, pp. 16–17.

[45]      Committee Hansard, 14 October 2016, p. 6.

[46]      Committee Hansard, 14 October 2016, p. 27.

Chapter 4 - Committee views and recommendations

[1]        Dr Gavan Griffith QC, Submission 7, p. 1.

[2]        Submission 7, p. 1.

[3]        Laura Tingle, 'George Brandis in bitter legal fight goes to rule of law', Australian Financial  Review, 16 June 2016, http://www.afr.com/news/politics/george-brandis-in-bitter-legal-fight-goes-to-rule-of-law-20160616-gpkvyv (accessed 1 November 2016).

[4]        Mr Justin Gleeson SC, Solicitor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, Submission 3, p. 16.

[5]        Submission 3, p. 16.

[6]        Submission 3, pp. 16–17.

[7]        Committee Hansard, 5 October 2016, p. 1.

[8]        Submission 7, pp. 5 and 6.

[9]        Legal Services Amendment (Solicitor-General Opinions) Direction 2016, Explanatory Statement (ES), p. 2.

[10]      Attorney-General, Senator the Hon George Brandis QC, Senate Hansard, 10 October 2016, p. 37.

[11]      Committee Hansard, 14 October 2016, p. 65.

[12]      Submission 3, p. 31.

[13]      Committee Hansard, 5 October 2016, p. 16.

[14]      Mr Chris Moraitis PSM, Secretary, Attorney-General's Department, answers to questions on notice, 3 November 2016 (received 7 November 2016), p. 5.

[15]      Submission 3, p. 31.

[16]      Committee Hansard, 14 October 2016, p. 54.

[17]      [1942] AC 206.

[18]      Committee Hansard, 14 October 2016, p. 51.

[19]      Submission 3, p. 16.

[20]      Senate Standing Committee on Regulations and Ordinances, Delegated Legislation Monitor 6 of 2016, 14 September 2016, p. 24.

[21]      Mr Justin Gleeson SC, Solicitor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia to Senator the Hon George Brandis QC, Attorney-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, correspondence sent 24 October 2016.

Dissenting Report from Government Senators

[1] Committee Hansard, 14 October 2016, p. 5.

[2] Committee Hansard, 14 October 2016, p. 36.

[3] Submission 3, p. 19.

[4] Submission 3, p. 20.

[5] Committee Hansard, 14 October 2016, p. 7.

[6] Submission 3, p. 4.

[7] Committee Hansard, 14 October 2016, p. 8.

[8] Committee Hansard, 14 October 2016, p. 10.

[9] Legislation Act 2003 (Cth), s 17.

[10] Committee Hansard, 14 October 2016, p. 38.

[11] Committee Hansard, 14 October 2016, p. 38.

[12] Legal Services Amendment (Solicitor-General Opinions) Direction 2016, Explanatory Statement.

[13] Committee Hansard, 14 October 2016, p. 39.

[14] Committee Hansard, 14 October 2016, p. 24.

[15] Committee Hansard, 14 October 2016, p. 12.

[16] Committee Hansard, 14 October 2016, p. 24.

[17] Committee Hansard, 14 October 2016, p. 38.

[18] Submission 5, p. 5.

[19] Committee Hansard, 14 October 2016, p. 25.

[20] Committee Hansard, 14 October 2016, p. 38.

[21] Committee Hansard, 14 October 2016, p. 36.

[22] Committee Hansard, 14 October 2016, p. 37.

[23] Committee Hansard, 14 October 2016, p. 15.

[24] Committee Hansard, 14 October 2016, p. 37.

[25] Committee Hansard, 14 October 2016, p. 39.

[26] Committee Hansard, 14 October 2016, p. 24.

[27] Legal Services Amendment (Solicitor-General Opinions) Directions 2016, Explanatory Statement.

[28] Submission 5, p. 6.

[29] Attorney-Generals Department, Legal Services Directions and Guidance Notes, https://www.ag.gov.au/LegalSystem/LegalServicesCoordination/Pages/Legalservicesdirectionsandguidancenotes.aspx (Accessed 8 November 2016).

[30] Legal Services Amendment (Solicitor-General Opinions) Directions 2016, Explanatory Statement.