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Section 92, Factual Discrimination and the High Court

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 January 2025

Andrew S Bell
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Federal Law Review , Volume 20 , Issue 2 , June 1991 , pp. 240 - 251
Copyright
Copyright © 1991 The Australian National University

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References

1 (1988) 165 CLR 360.

2 Eg Coper, M, “The Role of the Courts in the Preservation of Federalism”, (1989) 63 ALJ 462 470Google Scholar: “The High Court finally got the meaning of 'absolutely free' absolutely right”.

3 Lane, P H, “The Present Test for Invalidity under s.92 of the Constitution”, (1988) 62 ALJ 60, 614Google Scholar.

4 Supra n l, 385.

5 Ibid 392.

6 Ibid 385-392.

7 Ibid 394-395.

8 (1949) 79 CLR 497, 639.

9 “The enemies of free trade were border taxes, discrimination, especially in railway freigl rates, and preference”: supra n l, 391.

10 Ibid 400.

11 (1990) 171 CLR 182,203.

12 Kenny, S, “Constitutional Fact Ascertainment”, (1990) 1 Public L Rev 134, 162Google Scholar.

13 Supra n 1,399.

14 Ibid 407-408.

15 Ibid 408-409.

16 Convention Debates (Adelaide, 1897), 1116.

17 Convention Debates (Melbourne, 1898), 2278.

18 Ibid per Dobson (Tasmania), 2276.

19 Com Parl Deb 1912, Vol 69, 7106 (14 December 1912).

20 Supra n 17, 2276 per Sir George Turner (Victoria).

21 Id.

22 See Barley Marketing Board (NSW) v Norman (1990) 171 CLR 182,204.

23 Ibid 204-205.

24 As to which, see “The Inter-State Commission and s.92 of the Constitution”, (1988) 62 A 586.

25 See Coper, M, “The Second Coming of the Fourth Arm: The Role and Functions of the Inu State Commission”, (1989) 63 ALJ 731Google Scholar. The “fourth arm” was amputated, in Coper's colou words, by the Government's decision to assimilate the role it was playing with that played the Industries Assistance Commission in the form of a new statutory, non-constitutional the Industry Commission.

26 Ibid esp n 7.

27 Supra n 17, 2276.

28 Supra n 17, 2277. Section 73(iii) of the Constitution provides for an appeal to the High Court from a decision of the Inter-State Commission “but as to questions of law only”.

29 Inter-State Commission, Seizure-of-WMat Case Decision, 14 April 1915.

30 Ibid 36.

31 Supra n 11, 204.

32 New South Wales v TM Commonwealth (1915) 20 Cl.R 54.

33 The decision is fully discussed in Finnis, J M, “The Separation of Powers in the Australia Constitution”, (1961) 3 Adelaide L Rev 159Google Scholar.

34 J Quick and RR Garran, The Annotated Constitution of the Australian Commonwealth, (l90 900.

35 EH Sugden and FW Eggleston, George Swinburne - A Biography (1931). The decision was described (at 322) as an exercise in “judicial vinuosity” and as resembling “the action which some medieval coun of law endeavoured to stultify a rival court”.

36 See C Howard, Australia's Constitution, (1978) 50: “The High Coon disposed of the invasi of its own area of interest by deciding that s.101 did not mean what it said.”

37 Federalism - An Australian Jubilee Study, (1952) 259.

38 (1937) 57 CLR 327,352.

39 Cole v Whitfield (1988) 165 CLR 360,409.

40 Supra n 38, 349.

41 Barley Marketing Board (NSW) v Norman (1990) 171 CLR 182,204.

42 See Cole v Whitfield (1988) 165 CLR 360, 407-408.

43 Castlemaine Tooheys v South Australia (1990) 169 CLR 436, 475.

44 Supra n 1, 409.

45 M Coper, “Section 92 and the Future of Agricultural Marketing”, (Address to the Australian Agricultural Economics Society (Victorian Branch)), 13 October 1988, 23.

46 Supra n 43, 436.

47 Ibid 464.

48 Cf Arnotts v Trade Practices Commission (1990) 24 FCR 313, esp at 344-354; see al discussion below.

49 (1957) 99 CLR 28.

50 Ibid 89-90.

51 Supra n 43, 459-460.

52 Breen v Sneddon (1961) 106 CLR 406,411.

53 Commonwealth Freighters Pty Ltd v Sneddon (1959) 102 CLR 280, 292.

54 Supra n 1, 407-408.

55 LR Zincs, The High Court and the Constitution (3rd ed 1992) 391.

56 (1985) 159 CLR 70, 142; see also Gibbs CJ, at 85-86.

57 S Kenny, supra n 12, 156.

58 Wilcox Mofflin Ltd v State of NSW (1952) 85 CLR 488, per Dixon, McTieman and Fullagar JJ, at 507.

59 For an extensive discussion of the United States Supreme Court's treatment of “constitutional facts”, see Kenny, S, supra n 12, 137-149Google Scholar.

60 (1978) 140 CLR 120.

61 Stephen J.

62 LR Zines, supra n 55,392.

63 lbid 380.

64 (1980) 145 CLR 266.

65 Ibid 307.

66 lbid 302.

67 This is more fully discussed in S Kenny, supra n 12

68 Supra n 11, 204.

69 (1948) 76 CLR 1.

70 lbid 388.

71 Transcript, 5 and 6 June 1990, 102, 117.

72 (1990) 24 FCR 313, 344-354.

73 Ibid 354.

74 Ibid 352.

75 Transcript, 6 June 1990, 154.

76 Supra n 49, 28.

77 M Coper, Freedom of lnlerstate Trade, (1983), 166-167.

78 See also Attorney General Viet; ex rel Black v The Commonwealth (1981) 146 CLR 559 which Murphy J received evidence in March, April and June 1979 before ordering that I case be argued before the Full Coun. Murphy J. does not appear to have made any findir of fact and, in the event, stated that his “legal conclusions do not depend on any differer between the opposing factual claims” (at 620). Barwick CJ viewed the evidence received Murphy J as largely irrelevant (at 576); Gibbs J. was able to summarize the relevant evider in one paragraph (at 586-587); and Wilson J. stated that “it will not be necessary for me, enter the labyrinth of contested facts” (at 644).

79 Queensland v Commonweallh, No B80 of 1987 remitted by Gaudron Jon 22 September 1980

80 (1915) 20 CLR 54

81 Com Parl Deb 1901 Vol 5, 5657 (4 October 1901) per Sir John Quick.