Cheryl Saunders

Name: Professor Cheryl Saunders

Bio: Professor of Law, University of Melbourne. Professor Cheryl Saunders, Professor of Law, University of Melbourne, and Professor Geoffrey Bolton AO, Chancellor of Murdoch University, were the inaugural speakers at the first of an annual seminar, sponsored by The Sydney Institute’s Founding Donor Jim Bain. Introducing the speakers, Jim Bain said, “The purpose of this evening’s seminar is to endeavour to rekindle interest in constitutional reform following the unsuccessful referendum held in November 1999.” This would have two distinct parts, he said. First, the groundwork to prepare the voting public and major political parties for the eventual change to an Australian republic. Second, a proposal to simplify, modernise and refresh the actual document to make it more relevant to Australia’s unique form of democracy. The inaugural seminar “Constitutional Change: What Chance Now?” was held on Tuesday December 2004. Professor Geoffrey Bolton’s paper is an edited transcript of his remarks on the night.