Category: separation of powers

Supreme Court Sides With Landowners Whose Land Was Sought for Pipeline

The Supreme Court revived a lawsuit filed by Virginia property owners challenging the seizure of their land to make way for a natural gas pipeline. The court’s decision, which came April 24 in an unsigned order with no recorded dissents, is the latest development in a long-running legal battle between Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC and…


How Concentration of Powers Undermines the Rule of Law in Australia

Commentary Over the last three years, the Australian government has exercised coercive powers over its citizens on a scale never previously attempted. At some moments, it took oppressive control over almost every aspect of our personal lives: where we could go, whom we could meet, what we could do even within our own homes. Australians…


House Judiciary Republicans Undaunted by White House Rebuff on Oversight Requests

House Judiciary Committee Republicans aren’t backing off their plans for a massive oversight effort focused on President Joe Biden, his son Hunter Biden’s financial dealings, politicalization of the Department of Justice, and multiple other issues. “The White House’s petty letter won’t slow anything down when it comes to us conducting legitimate, constitutional oversight,” a Judiciary…


The Defective Nature of Australia’s Parliamentary System

Commentary The responses of the Australian government to the COVID-19 pandemic had an overwhelming impact on the enjoyment of fundamental legal rights in this country. However, such disdain for fundamental rights does not come as a surprise to those who know how our Westminster System is presently applied in Australia. Since there is no proper…


Regulation Nation

Commentary It is clear to me that we have become a “Regulation Nation.” And we are governed by an “Administrative State.” What do I mean by that? I mean that we are being governed by regulations issued by administrative agencies, instead of being governed by laws duly passed by our elected officials. Why does that matter? Because agencies are…


The Constitution Is the Answer

Commentary September 17th is the day that we reserve for honoring our Constitution. The day was codified in 1917 when many people rightly feared that the country was losing its appreciation for its merits. Did you celebrate the day last Saturday? I’m afraid that many people did not. This is surely not something that is…


Be Wary of the Path to an ‘Elected Dictatorship’

Commentary On Saturday, Australia is having another federal election. These elections are generally held every three years because the Australian Constitution specifies that the maximum term of a parliament is three years. Of course, democracy is much more than just holding such elections. It takes far more than parliamentary elections to make a sound democracy….


It’s Time for Australians to Elect Their Head of State

Commentary Australia’s recent developments makes one deeply sceptical as to the current political system’s ability to promote accountability. Moreover, one wonders how much accountability is in evidence now that a former “Vaccine Commander” and a former “Chief Health Adviser” are appointed the governors of Western Australia and Queensland, respectively. It is no wonder why so…