Professor Helen Irving

Profile
Publications

Profile

Degrees

LLB (Hons I) PhD in History Sydney MPhil in Social Anthropology Camb BA (Hons I with the Dwight Prize in Political Science) Melbourne

Areas of Interest

Australian and comparative constitutional law
Constitutional history and theory

Brief Biographical Detail

Helen Irving was appointed to the Faculty of Law in 2001. She teaches Australian and comparative constitutional law. She has researched and written on the making of the Australian Constitution; comparative constitutional design and gender; the use of history in constitutional interpretation; and the ‘dialogue’ model of judicial review. Her current major research, supported by a four-year ARC Discovery Grant, is on the history of constitutional citizenship and gender.

Helen served as the historical consultant for a number of television and radio documentaries, including for the National Archives of Australia website 'Documenting a Democracy': http://www.foundingdocs.gov.au/, and for Film Australia's documentary 'Federation'. She is a former Director of the ‘1901 Centre’ at the University of Technology, Sydney, and the Julius Stone Institute of Jurisprudence at Sydney Law School. She currently sits on the Advisory Council of the National Archives of Australia. She held the Harvard Chair of Australian Studies as a Visiting Professor at Harvard Law School, 2005-2006

In 2003 she received the Centenary Medal for services to the Centenary of Federation.

Blog

A Womans Constitution blog

For alerts of new blog posts, please email the email address above.

Helen Irving also writes for the Constitutional Reform Unit blog

Publications

Irving, H, Gender and the Constitution: Equity and Agency in Comparative Constitutional Law, Cambridge University Press, New York (2008).
Irving, H, Five Things to Know About the Australian Constitution, Cambridge University Press (2004).
Irving, H, To Constitute a Nation: A Cultural History of Australia's Constitution, Cambridge University Press (1997 & 1999). Published in CD Rom, 'Federation of a Nation', Webster Publishing 2000.

Edited books

Irving, H, Mowbray, J, and Walton, K (eds), Julius Stone: A Study in Influence, Federation Press: Sydney (2010)
Irving, H (ed), Unity and Diversity: A National Conversation (The 2001 Barton Lectures), ABC Books (2001).
Irving, H & Macintyre, S (eds), No Ordinary Act: J. A. La Nauze on Federation and the Constitution, Melbourne University Press (2001).
Irving, H (ed), The Centenary Companion to Australian Federation, Cambridge University Press (1999). Finalist, NSW Premier's Federation History Award 2001.
Irving, H (ed), A Woman's Constitution? Gender and History in the Australian Commonwealth, Hale & Iremonger (1996).

Unpublished Papers

Chapters in books

Irving, H, “Drafting, Design and Gender”, in Tom Ginsburg and Rosalind Dixon (eds), Comparative Constitutional Law, Edward Elgar (2011).
Irving, H, “The Constitution and Judiciary” in Roderick Rhodes (ed), The Australian Study of Politics in the Twentieth Century, Palgrave Macmillan (2009).
Irving, H, “More than Rights” in Susan Williams (ed), Constituting Equality, Cambridge University Press (2009).
Irving, H, “Australia” in Mathias Thiel (ed), The ‘Militant Democracy’ Principle in Modern Democracies, Ashgate (2009).
Irving, H, “A Legal Perspective on Bills of Rights”, in Julian Leeser and Ryan Haddrick (eds), Don’t Leave us with the Bill: The Case Against an Australian Bill of Rights, Menzies Research Centre (2009).
Irving, H, ‘The Constitution’, in B Galligan and W Roberts (eds), The Oxford Companion to Australian Politics, Oxford University Press (2007).
Irving, H, “Citizenship, Statehood and Allegiance”, in N Brown and L Cardinal (eds), Managing Diversity: Practices of Citizenship, Ottowa University Press (2007).
Irving, H, “Rights and Citizenship in Law and Public Discourse” in T Campbell, J Goldsworthy & A Stone (eds), Protecting Rights Without a Bill of Rights: Institutional Performance and Reform in Australia, Ashgate Publishing Limited: Aldershot, England (2006).
Irving, H, “What If Federation had Failed in 1900?” in S Macintyre & S Scalmer (eds), What If? Australian History as it Might Have Been, Melbourne University Press: Melbourne (2006).
Irving, H, "Its First and Highest Function: The Framers' Vision of the High Court as Interpreter of the Constitution" in P Cane (ed), Centenary Essays for the High Court of Australia, LexisNexis Butterworths (2004).
Irving, H, "Citizenship and Subject-Hood in 20th Century Australia" in P Boyer, L Cardinal & D Headon (eds), From Subjects to Citizens: A Hundred Years of Citizenship in Australia and Canada, University of Ottawa Press (2004).
Irving, H, "A True Conservative?" in R Manne (ed), The Howard Years, Black Inc. Agenda (2004).
Irving, H, “Lessons from History: the High Court and the Invalidation of the Communist Party Dissolution Act” in J Jones & J McMillan (eds), Public Law Intersections: Papers presented at the Public Law Weekend - 2000 & 2001, Centre for International and Public Law, ANU: Canberra (2003).
Irving, H, "Sister Colonies with Separate Constitutions: Why Australians chose not to follow Canada" in L Cardinal (ed), Shaping Nations, University of Ottawa Press (2002).
Irving, H, "Introduction" in H Irving & S Macintyre (eds), No Ordinary Act: J. A. La Nauze on Federation and the Constitution, Melbourne University Press (2001).
Irving, H, "Framers of the Constitution" in T Blackshield, M Coper & G Williams (eds), The Oxford Companion to the High Court of Australia, Oxford University Press (2001).
Irving, H, "Garran, Robert" in T Blackshield, M Coper & G Williams (eds), The Oxford Companion to the High Court of Australia, Oxford University Press (2001).
Irving, H, "Democratic Experiments with Constitution-Making" in M Sawer (ed), Elections, Full, Free and Fair, Federation Press (2001).
Irving, H, "Australia's constitutional identity: A conundrum for the 21st century" in H Irving (ed), Unity and Diversity: A National Conversation, ABC Books (2001).
Irving, H, "They will choose wisely, they will choose well: Arguments for directly electing the Governor-General in the 1890s" in A Murray (ed), Trusting the People, Design by Design (2001).
Irving, H, "The Republic Debate" in D Woodward, A Parkin & J Summers (eds), Politics, Power, Government and Policy, Longman (2001).
Irving, H, "A Nation in a Day" in K T Livingston, et al (eds), Becoming Australians, Wakefield Press (2001).
Irving, H, "The Empire Strikes Back: The Constitution, Sovereignty and Nineteenth-Century Globalisation" in C Sampford & T Round (eds), Beyond the Republic: Meeting the Global Challenges to Constitutionalism, Federation Press (2001).
Irving, H, "Citizenship Before 1949" in K Rubenstein (ed), Individual, Community, Nation: Fifty Years of Australian Citizenship, Federation Press (2000).
Irving, H, "George Reid" in M Grattan (ed), Australian Prime Ministers, Landsdowne Press (2000), (reissued 2001).
Irving, H,"The Most Eccentric of Them All: J W R Clarke" in D Headon & J Williams (eds), Makers of Miracles: The Cast of the Federation Story, Melbourne University Press (2000).
Irving, H,"New South Wales" in H Irving (ed), The Centenary Companion to Australian Federation, Cambridge University Press (1999).
Irving, H, "Citizenship" in B Caine, et al (eds), Australian Feminism: A Companion, Oxford University Press (1998).
Irving, H, "Citizenship" in G Davison, et al (eds), Oxford Companion to Australian History, Oxford University Press (1998).
Irving, H, "Women, the Constitution and the People's Convention" in J Gardner (ed), Here We Come: Ready or Not, WIP, Sydney (1998).
Irving, H, "Republicanism and Citizenship" in B Galligan, et al, (eds), New Developments in Australian Politics, Macmillan (1997).
Irving, H, "The People and their Conventions" in M Coper & G Williams (eds), Power, Parliament and the People, Federation Press: Sydney (1997).
Irving, H, "The Making of the Australian Constitution" in K Laster (ed), Law as Culture, Sydney, Federation Press (1997).
Irving, H, "Fair Federalists and Founding Mothers" in H Irving (ed), A Woman's Constitution? Gender and History in the Australian Commonwealth, Hale & Iremonger: Sydney (1996).
Irving, H, "A Gendered Constitution?Women, Federation and Heads of Power" in H Irving (ed), ibid.
Irving, H and Headon, D, "A Week in the Future:Homage to CatherineHelen Spence" in H Irving(ed), ibid.
Irving, H, "Thinking of England: Women, Politics and the Queen" in D Goodman & J Hoorn (eds), Vox Republicae:Feminism andthe Republic, La Trobe University Press (1995).
Irving, H, "Who were the Republicans?" in D Headon and J Warden (eds), Crown OrCountry?, Allen & Unwin: Australia (1994).
Irving, H, "History and the Insider" in S Magarey (ed), Writing Lives, Australian Feminist StudiesPublications (1992).

Miscellaneous

Irving, H & Hart, V, Gender Equity in Constitution-Making, United Nations Development Program (Iraq) (2005) I
Irving, H & Horne, D, 2001:Why are WeCelebrating?, NSW Centenary of Federation Committee (2000).

Refereed Articles

Irving, H, ‘Where Have All the Women Gone? Gender and the Literature on Constitutional Design’ (2012) 4 (2) Contemporary Readings in Law and Social Justice pp 25-52.
Irving, H, ‘The Dilemmas in Dialogue: A Constitutional Analysis of the NHRC’s Proposed Human Rights Act’ (2010) 33 University of New South Wales Law Journal 60-87.
Irving, H, 'A Nation Built on Words: The Constitution and National Identity in America and Australia' (2009) 33 Journal of Australian Studies 211-225.
Irving, H, ‘Still Call Australia Home: The Constitution and the Citizen's Right of Abode’ (2008) 30(1) Sydney Law Review 133-153.
Irving, H, ‘Federalism is a Feminist Issue: What Australians Can Learn From the United States Commerce Clause’ (2007) 28 Adelaide Law Review 1-18.
Irving, H, 'Advisory Opinions, the Rule of Law, and the Separation of Powers' (2004) 4Macquarie Law Journal 105-134.
Irving, H, 'How Well Does the Compact Fit?: A Critique of the New Constitutional Grundnormin the Light of History and Theory' (2002) 11(2) Griffith Law Review.
Irving, H, 'How the Nibble Became a Bite: What was the Cause of Federation?' (2002) 8(1) Tasmanian Historical Studies.
Irving, H, 'Original Intent? The Founding Fathers at the 1927 Royal Commission on the Constitution' (2002) 8 The New Federalist.
Irving, H, 'The Commonwealth Constitution 1900 – 2000' (2002) 7 The New Federalist.
Irving, H, 'Women of the West and How they Won' (2001) 6 The New Federalist.
Irving, H, 'The Republic Referendum of 6 November, 1999' (2000) 35(1) Australian Journal ofPolitical Science.
Irving, H & Williams, J, '"The Best Fitted, with the Greatest Right": Sydney as the Federal Capital' (1999) 3 The New Federalist.
Irving, H, 'Referendums in the Air:NSW in June, 1898' (1998) 2 The New Federalist.
Irving, H, 'Old Familiar Hacks, Just When They're Needed: The New South Wales Delegation' (1998) 1 The New Federalist.
Irving, H,'A Conventional Convention' (1998) 34(Apr/May) Arena Magazine.
Irving, H, 'The Republic is a Feminist Issue' (1996) 52(Spring) Feminist Review.
Irving, H, 'Equal Opportunity, Equal Representation and Equal Rights? What Republicanism offers to Australian Women' (1996) 31(1) Australian Journal of Political Science(Winner of the Australian Political Science Association, Women and Politics essay prize, 1995).
Irving, H,'A Gendered Constitution?Women, Federation and Heads of Power' (1994) 24(2) University of Western Australia Law Review.
Irving, H,'The Boy's Own Republic' (1993/1994) 8 (Dec/Jan) Arena Magazine.
Irving, H,'Little Elves and Mind-Control: Advertising and its Critics' (1991) 4(2) Continuum.
Irving, H, 'The Romance of Nature' (1988) 84 Arena.
Irving, H,'Guilds, Corporations and Socialist Theory' (1986) 15(1) Economy and Society.
Irving, H,'Inside the Cuckoo Clock' (1979) 11 Melbourne Journal of Politics.

Other Articles

Irving, H, ‘The High Court Fails History in Thomas’ (2007) 45(8) Law Society Journal 54-55
Irving, H, ‘Péril en la demeure: quel droit à la citoyenneté pour ceux qui soutiennent le terrorisme?’ Revue gouvernance, 2006, vol. 3, no 1
Irving, H, 'Changing law by parliament' (2005) 17(1) Legal Date 1-3
Irving, H, 'An Australian Republic: This year, next year, sometime, never?' (2003) 12 Inroads: The Canadian Journal of Opinion.
Irving, H, "Lessons from History: The High Court and the Invalidation of the Communist Party Dissolution Act" in J Jones and J McMillan (eds), Public Law Intersections: Papers Presented at the Public Law Weekend 2000 and 2001, Centre for International and Public Law (2003).
Irving, H, Review: Allen, TRS, "Constitutional Justice: A Liberal Theory of the Rule of Law" (2002) 24(3) Sydney Law Review 449-452
Irving, H, "The Census, the Constitution and Democracy" in Yearbook of Australia 2002, Australian Bureau of Statistics, AGPS, Canberra (2002).
Irving, H, 'An Historical Reflection on Refugees in Australia' (2002) 3 Immigration Review.
Irving, H,"One Hundred Years of (Almost) Solitude: The Evolution of Australian Citizenship"in Papers on Parliament, no. 37, For Peace, Order, and Good Government: The Centenary of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia, Department of the Senate, Canberra (2001).
Irving, H, Introduction, Federation full text database (http://setis.library.usyd.edu.au/oztexts/irving.html) (created 2001) 'Federation and the Media' Walkley Magazine, December 2001.
Irving, H, 'When Quick met Garran: the Corowa Plan' (1998) 32 (December) Papers on Parliament.
Irving, H, 'Celebrating Federation' (1998) 10(2) The Sydney Papers.
Irving, H, 'Why I am not a Maximalist' (1998) 2(2) Crossings.
Irving, H, 'The People and their Convention: Bathurst in November 1896' (1997) 39(March) Canberra Historical Journal.
Irving, H,'The Way Forward?The Prime Minister's 1995 Republicanism Speech and Other National Moments' (1996) 1(1) Crossings.
Irving, H, 'Who are the Founding Mothers?' (1995) 25(June) Papers on Parliament.
Irving, H, 'Republicanism, Royalty and Tales of Australian Manhood' (1994) 2 Communal/Plural.
Irving, H,'With Other Men and Other Means:Women and the Constitution'(1994) 3(2) Constitutional Centenary.
Irving, H,'Australian Studies and Political Culture' (1994) 20(June) Crossings: International Bulletin of Australian Studies.
Irving, H, 'Citizens and Not-Quite Citizens: Sykes v Cleary (1992) 176 CLR 77)' (1993) 2(4) Constitutional Centenary.
Irving, H,'New Life for an Old Parliament' (1992) 1(2) Modern Times.
Irving, H, 'William Morris and the Contemporary Socialist Press' (1984) (Winter) Journal of the William Morris Society.

Research funding

2010-2013 ARC Discovery Grant, for ‘A Comparative Constitutional History of Citizenship Law and Gender’.
2004-2006 ARC Discovery grant, with Dr Mary Crock, for 'The Impact of Migrants on Australian Public Law: An Historical and Cultural Study'.
2001-2002 ARC Large Grant, for 'Constitutional History, Federation and Judicial Review'.
1995 ARC Large Grant, for 'The Australian Constitution and Political Culture'.

The University of Sydney - Sydney Law School

Professor Helen Irving

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