Subject guides: Legislation: Commonwealth

Federal Register of Legislation (previously ComLaw)
Official site - the Attorney-General's Department provides online access to Commonwealth Acts, Bills (with Explanatory Memoranda), and Legislative Instruments by Department, Number, Title or Year.
Federal Register of Legislative Instruments (FRLI)
Images and index information of all legislative instruments in force as at, and registered after, the commencement of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003 (Cth). Explanatory Statements are provided where available.

Print Resources

Commonwealth of Australia Acts, v.1 (1901-present)
Commonwealth of Australia Statutory Rules (1901-present)

Indexes

Commonwealth Statutes annotations (1988-present)
Federal Statutes annotations (1992-present)
Table of Acts (1901-1991)
Wicks subject index to Commonwealth legislation (1988-present)
Emergency legislation handbook: Commonwealth

Bills and Legislation
Previously BillsNet. Current and old Bills and associated materials such as Explanatory Memoranda and 2nd Reading Speeches.
Commonwealth of Australia Bills
1981-present, AustLII
Commonwealth of Australia Bills Explanatory Memoranda
1974- present (AustLII)
Index to Explanatory Memoranda 1901-82
Australian Parliamentary Library - lists all items identified as Explanatory Memoranda or as Comparative Memoranda from 1901 to the end of 1982 (1st - 32nd Parliaments). From 1982, the provision of Explanatory Memoranda has been standard practice for government Bills introduced into the Commonwealth Parliament
Bills Digest
Australian Parliamentary Library publications providing descriptions of new bills brought into either House, prepared for the purpose of debate. They reflect the legislation as introduced and do not canvass subsequent amendments. The Digests do not have any official legal status
ATO Legal Database
Current and historical tax related Bills and EMs

Print Resources

Commonwealth of Australia Bills (1968-1999, lacks 1969)

Commonwealth. Hansard
1901-present
Parliament of Australia. Tabled papers
Search for Tabled Papers from 2002 onwards
Parliament of Australia. Tabled Documents (Parliamentary Papers) - Browse by year
Browse the Parliamentary Papers Series by calendar year from 2002 onwards
Senate Tabled Papers
A database external to the Parliament website to search for historical Senate tabled papers
Royal Commissions and Commissions of Inquiry
This list includes all Royal Commissions and Commissions of Inquiry (the nomenclature varies) appointed by the Australian Government from 1902, under the provisions of the Royal Commissions Act 1902
National Archives of Australia
A digital collection of government records illuminating Australia's history and identity

Print Resources

Commonwealth, House of Representatives (1952-present) - Level 2 Govt Pubs
Commonwealth, Senate (1954-present; lacks 1956) - Level 2 Govt Pubs
Commonwealth, Senate and House of Representatives (1946-1953; lacks 1948) - Level 2 Govt Pubs
Commonwealth, Senate and House of Representatives (1901-1903; 1915; 1917-1923; 1928-1934; 1936-1939) - Level 2 Govt Pubs

The Federal Register of Legislation provides Gazettes (Government Notices, Special and Periodic) and Indexes to the Gazettes, published from January 1901 to present.

Current - Browse by date
Commonwealth Government Gazettes from 1 October 2012 to date
Current - Browse by title
Commonwealth Government Gazettes from 1 October 2012 to date
Historic
Commonwealth Government Gazettes published between 1 January 1901 and 31 December 2012

Print Resources

Australia (Commonwealth) Government Gazette (1907-1973) - Law Library Store, Level 3
Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, Government Notices (1987-2012 - Law Library Store, Level 3
Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, Periodic (1974-1997; 2008-2012 incomplete) - Law Library Store, Level 3
Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, Special (1973 Jul-Dec; 1977-2012 incomplete) - Law Library Store, Level 3
Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, General (1974-1977) - Law Library Store, Level 3

Australian Colonial Legal History Library, pre 1900
Searchable database of resources concerning Australasian legal history
Post-war and Commercial Legislation
1946 - 1952
Records of the Australasian Federal Conventions of the 1890s (Parliament of Australia)
Provides access to debates and proceedings of the Australasian Federation Conferences
War legislation and case law service
1939 - 1946

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Australasian Law Reform Library (AustLII)
This library includes databases of law reform reports of all permanent Australian and New Zealand law reform bodies available on AustLII and NZLII.

Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) | Publications (AustLII) | Reform (online journal via AustLII)
The ALRC home page provides information about the Commission, links to other law reform sources in Australia and other countries, and full-text access to selected Law Reform Commission reports, issues papers, etc., as well as information about current inquiries.

Administrative Review Council (ARC)

CLEAR: Community Legal Education and Reform Database
The Community Legal Education and Reform Database showcases community legal education and law reform projects undertaken by Australian Community Legal Centres and other nonprofit legal services.

House of Representatives Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs (Parliament of Australia)

Law Reform Database
This database indexes almost 6850 law reform materials from common law jurisdictions around the world. Updated to 2002.

Law Reform Agencies (Victorian Law Reform Commission)
Information about and links to the major law reform agencies in Australia and New Zealand, as well as links to overseas law reform agencies.

Parliamentary Library research papers

Commonwealth Parliamentary Library. Research publications
Research Papers and Background Notes

Understand our Parliament

View these fact sheets from the Parliamentary Education Office to understand the role, function, structure and people of the Australian Parliament: