Section 51 of the Australian Constitution

E322304

Section 51 of the Australian Constitution is the key provision that sets out the specific areas in which the federal Parliament has the power to make laws.

All labels observed (2)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (71)

Predicate Object
instanceOf constitutional provision
section of the Constitution of Australia
adoptedOn 1900
alsoKnownAs Section 51
s 51
appliesTo Commonwealth legislative competence
cameIntoForceOn 1901-01-01
contains subsection (i) trade and commerce power
subsection (ii) taxation power
subsection (iii) bounties power
subsection (iv) borrowing money power
subsection (ix) quarantine power
subsection (v) postal, telegraphic, telephonic and other like services power
subsection (vi) defence power
subsection (vii) lighthouses, lightships, beacons and buoys power
subsection (viii) astronomical and meteorological observations power
subsection (x) fisheries in Australian waters beyond territorial limits power
subsection (xi) census and statistics power
subsection (xii) currency, coinage and legal tender power
subsection (xiii) banking power
subsection (xiv) insurance power
subsection (xix) naturalization and aliens power
subsection (xv) weights and measures power
subsection (xvi) bills of exchange and promissory notes power
subsection (xvii) bankruptcy and insolvency power
subsection (xviii) copyrights, patents of inventions and designs, and trade marks power
subsection (xx) foreign corporations, and trading or financial corporations power
subsection (xxi) marriage power
subsection (xxii) divorce and matrimonial causes power
subsection (xxiii) invalid and old-age pensions power
subsection (xxiiiA) social services power
subsection (xxiv) service and execution of civil and criminal process power
subsection (xxix) external affairs power
subsection (xxv) recognition throughout the Commonwealth of the laws, public Acts and records, and judicial proceedings of the States power
subsection (xxvi) people of any race power
subsection (xxvii) immigration and emigration power
subsection (xxviii) influx of criminals power
subsection (xxx) relations of the Commonwealth with the islands of the Pacific power
subsection (xxxi) acquisition of property on just terms power
subsection (xxxii) control of railways with the consent of a State power
subsection (xxxiii) railway construction and extension in any State with the consent of that State power
subsection (xxxiv) conciliation and arbitration for the prevention and settlement of industrial disputes extending beyond the limits of any one State power
subsection (xxxix) matters incidental to the execution of any power vested by the Constitution in the Parliament or in the Government of the Commonwealth or in the Federal Judicature power
subsection (xxxv) conciliation and arbitration power
subsection (xxxvi) matters in respect of which the Constitution makes provision until the Parliament otherwise provides power
subsection (xxxvii) matters referred to the Parliament of the Commonwealth by the Parliament or Parliaments of any State or States power
subsection (xxxviii) exercise within the Commonwealth of certain powers of the Parliament of the United Kingdom power
country Australia
defines heads of power of the Commonwealth Parliament
enablingInstrument Australian Constitution
surface form: Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 (UK)
grantsPowerTo Parliament of Australia
surface form: Commonwealth Parliament

Parliament of Australia
hasAmendment alteration of subsection (xxvi) by referendum in 1967
insertion of subsection (xxiiiA)
hasNumberOfSubsections 39
interpretedBy High Court of Australia
isCentralTo federalism in Australia
isKeyProvisionFor division of powers between Commonwealth and States
jurisdiction Commonwealth of Australia
language English
legalSystem Australian constitutional law
locatedInDocument Chapter I of the Australian Constitution
Part V of Chapter I of the Australian Constitution
partOf Australian Constitution
surface form: Constitution of Australia
purpose to enumerate the legislative powers of the Commonwealth Parliament
to specify the subject matters on which the federal Parliament may make laws
relatedTo Section 109 of the Australian Constitution
Section 52 of the Australian Constitution
scope enumerated powers
subjectOf Commonwealth legislative powers
typeOfPower enumerated legislative power

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Section 24 of the Australian Constitution linkedTo Section 51 of the Australian Constitution
Defence Act 1903 (Australia) relatedTo Section 51 of the Australian Constitution
this entity surface form: Australian Constitution section 51(vi)