The Tasmania Law Reform Institute (TLRI) is pleased to announce the release of its latest research paper, Review of the Tasmanian Constitution (No. 11, September 2026).
The paper examines the current constitutional framework in Tasmania and the need for reform. It originated in a general recognition among constitutional law experts that the Tasmanian Constitution Act 1934 (Tas) was overdue for review.
Authored by Anja Hilkemijer of the University of Tasmania Law School, the paper builds upon a detailed draft report prepared by former Tasmanian Solicitor-General Leigh Sealy. The research was prepared in collaboration with Mr Sealy, with additional research by Ava Drew and assistance from Dr Rebecca Bradfield, Deputy Director of the TLRI. The project was made possible through funding from the Law Foundation of Tasmania.
The paper presents 34 recommendations aimed at modernising and strengthening Tasmania's constitutional framework. Its central recommendation is the development of a new, consolidated Constitution Act that would retain Tasmania's existing constitutional arrangements while improving their clarity, accessibility and coherence.
The recommendations address a range of issues, including consolidating constitutional provisions currently scattered across multiple sources, modernising legislative drafting, clarifying the powers and functions of Parliament, the Executive and the judiciary, and measures to strengthen the symbolic and educational role of the Constitution.
Review of the Tasmanian Constitution (Research Paper No. 11, September 2026) is available from the Tasmania Law Reform Institute website.