Elisa Arcioni

Associate Dean and Associate Professor of Constitutional Law, University of Sydney Law School, Australia.

On October 14, 2023, Australian electors voted in a referendum regarding a proposal to change the Constitution by explicitly recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through the insertion of a Voice to Parliament and Government. A majority of electors in each State voted against the change, as did a majority of electors nationally. Therefore, the referendum failed. This article explains the proposal from a public law perspective and includes brief reflections regarding the public debate surrounding the referendum.

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