Australia acquired full independent sovereignty in 1901 but there were no Australian “citizens” until 1948. We were all still British “subjects”. How did all this happen? What are the rights and obligations of citizenship – how is it acquired, and can it be lost or revoked? Can people be “dual citizens” and why did some people lose their place in the federal Parliament over “citizenship” issues? What is the sad history and current controversy about “citizenship” for First Nations’ people.

DELIVERY MODE

• Face-to-Face

SUGGESTED READING

• Kim Rubenstein: Australian Citizenship Law (Lawbook Co, 2017)
• James Jupp: The Australian People (Cambridge University, 2001) ISBN 0 521 80789 1

COURSE OUTLINE

• The history of Australian citizenship from 1901 through the first citizenship Act in 1948 to the present.
• The means of acquiring and the possibility of losing Australian citizenship and the obligations and duties attached to it.
• The special position in citizenship law of First Nations’ people from Federation to the most recent High Court decisions.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. What “citizenship” actually means and what is its basis in our legal system.
2. What makes Australian “citizenship” unique.