Constitutional law (Cth) – Parliamentary elections – References to Court of Disputed Returns – Where referred persons elected to Commonwealth Parliament – Where evidence to suggest each held dual citizenship at date of nomination for election – Whether each person incapable of being chosen or of sitting as senator or member of House of Representatives by reason of s 44(i) of Constitution – Proper construction of s 44(i) of Constitution – Whether s 44(i) contains implied mental element in relation to acquisition or retention of foreign citizenship – Whether each person subject or citizen of foreign power or entitled to rights or privileges of subject or citizen of foreign power for purposes of s 44(i).
Words and phrases – "a subject or a citizen … of a foreign power", "constitutional imperative", "foreign citizenship", "incapable of being chosen", "knowledge", "natural-born", "naturalised", "reasonable steps", "voluntariness", "voluntary act", "wilful blindness".
Constitution – ss 16, 34, 44(i), 45(i).
Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Cth) – ss 163, 376.
Judgment date
Case number
C11/2017
C12/2017
C13/2017
C14/2017
C15/2017
C17/2017
C18/2017
Before
Kiefel CJ, Bell, Gageler, Keane, Nettle, Gordon, Edelman JJ
Catchwords