Professor Nicholas Aroney

Professor

School of Law
Faculty of Business, Economics and Law
n.aroney@law.uq.edu.au
+61 7 336 53053

Overview

Nicholas Aroney is Professor of Constitutional Law at The University of Queensland, Director (Public Law) of the Centre for Public, International and Comparative Law and a Senior Fellow of the Centre for Law and Religion at Emory University. In 2010 he received a four-year Future Fellowship from the Australian Research Council to study comparative federalism and in 2021 he secured an Australian Research Council Discovery Grant to investigate the nature and function of constituent power in federal systems. He has held visiting positions at Oxford, Cambridge, Paris II, Edinburgh, Durham, Padua, Sydney, Emory and Tilburg universities.

Professor Aroney has published over 160 journal articles, book chapters and books in the fields of constitutional law, comparative constitutional law and legal theory. He has led several international research projects in comparative federalism, bicameralism, legal pluralism, and law & religion, and he speaks frequently at international conferences on these topics. His most notable publications in these fields include: The Constitution of a Federal Commonwealth: The Making and Meaning of the Australian Constitution (Cambridge University Press, 2009), Shari'a in the West (Oxford University Press, 2010) (edited with Rex Ahdar), The Future of Australian Federalism (Cambridge University Press, 2012) (edited with Gabrielle Appleby and Thomas John), The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Australia: History, Principle and Interpretation (Cambridge University Press, 2015) (with Peter Gerangelos, James Stellios and Sarah Murray), Courts in Federal Countries (Toronto University Press, 2017) (edited with John Kincaid), The Routledge Handbook of Subnational Constitutions and Constitutionalism (Routledge 2021) (edited with Patricia Popelier and Giacomo Delledone) and Christianity and Contitutionailsm (Oxford University Press, 2022) (edited with Ian Leigh).

Professor Aroney is a former editor of The University of Queensland Law Journal (2003-2005) and International Trade and Business Law Annual (1996-1998), and a past secretary of the Australian Society of Legal Philosophy. He is a past member of the Governing Council and the current Co-Convenor of the Queensland Chapter of the Australian Association of Constitutional Law. He is also a member of the editorial advisory board of the American Journal of Jurisprudence, Public Law Review, Australian Journal of Law and Religion and International Trade and Business Law Review. He has made numerous influential submissions to government and parliamentary inquiries and in 2013 undertook a review of the Crime and Misconduct Act for the Queensland Government with the Hon Ian Callinan AC QC, a former Justice of the High Court of Australia. In 2017 he was appointed by the Australian Prime Minister to an Expert Panel to advise on whether Australian law adequately protects the human right to freedom of religion.

Professor Aroney joined the Law School in 1995 after working with a major national law firm and acting as a legal consultant in the field of building and construction law.

Research Interests

  • Australian constitutional law
  • Comparative constitutional law
  • Discrimination
  • Equal opportunity law
  • Federalism
  • Legal history

Qualifications

  • Masters (Coursework) of Law, The University of Queensland
  • Bachelor (Honours) of Law, The University of Queensland
  • Bachelor of Arts, University of New South Wales

Publications

View all Publications

Publications

Featured Publications

Book

Book Chapter

  • Aroney, Nicholas (2023). Christianity and sovereignty. Oxford handbook of Christianity and law. (pp. 804-817) edited by Rafael Domingo and John Witte. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780197606759.013.58

  • Aroney, Nicholas (2023). High courts in federations: neutral referees or team players?. Teaching federalism. (pp. 67-78) Cheltenham, United Kingdom: Edward Elgar Publishing. doi: 10.4337/9781800885325.00014

  • Aroney, Nicholas (2023). Federal vs unitary constituent power. Oxford handbook of constituent power . (pp. forthcoming-forthcoming) edited by Peter Niesen, Markus Patberg and Lucia Rubinelli. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.

  • Aroney, Nicholas (2023). Federalism and democracy. Research handbook on law and democracy. (pp. Forthcoming-Forthcoming) edited by Glenn Patmore. UK: Edward Elgar .

  • Aroney, Nicholas and Grant, Bligh (2023). Local Government in Australia: Constitutionally Subordinate, but Vibrant and Fundamental. Ius Gentium: Comparative Perspectives on Law and Justice. (pp. 101-137) Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-41792-4_6

  • Aroney, Nicholas (2022). Christianity and constitutional law. Oxford handbook on Christianity and law. (pp. 1-21) edited by John Witte and Rafael Domingo. London, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.

  • Aroney, Nicholas and Causer, Lauren (2022). Federalism and representation. Comparative election law. (pp. 51-70) edited by James Gardner. Cheltenham, United Kingdom: Edward Elgar Publishing.

  • Aroney, Nicholas (2022). Federalism: a legal, political, and religious archaeology. Christianity and constitutionalism. (pp. 303-324) edited by Nicholas Aroney and Ian Leigh. New York, NY, United States: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/oso/9780197587256.003.0015

  • Aroney, Nicholas and Leigh, Ian (2022). Introduction: Christianity and constitutionalism. Christianity and constitutionalism. (pp. 1-30) edited by Nicholas Aroney and Ian Leigh. New York, NY United States: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/oso/9780197587256.003.0001

  • Aroney, Nicholas and Causer, Lauren (2022). Representation in federations. Comparative election law. (pp. 51-70) edited by James A. Gardner. Cheltenham, United Kingdom: Edward Elgar Publishing. doi: 10.4337/9781788119023.00012

  • Aroney, Nicholas and Boyce, Michael (2022). The Australian federal response to the Covid-19 crisis: momentary success or enduring reform?. Comparative federalism and Covid-19: combating the pandemic. (pp. 298-316) edited by Nico Steytler. Abingdon, Oxon, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003166771-21

  • Aroney, Nicholas (2021). Subnational constitutionalism in Australia. The Routledge Handbook of Subnational Constitutions and Constitutionalism. (pp. 36-50) edited by Patricia Popelier, Giacomo Delledonne and Nicholas Aroney. London, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003052111-3

  • Popelier, Patricia, Aroney, Nicholas and Delledonne, Giacomo (2021). Conclusion: Nine hypotheses to explain variation in subnational constitutional autonomy. The Routledge Handbook of Subnational Constitutions and Constitutionalism. (pp. 310-325) edited by Patricia Popelier, Giacomo Delledonne and Nicholas Aroney. London, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003052111-20

  • Aroney, Nicholas (2021). The social ontology of human dignity. The inherence of human dignity: Foundations of human dignity, Volume 1. (pp. 165-183) edited by Angus J. L. Menuge and Barry W. Bussey. London, United Kingdom: Anthem Press. doi: 10.2307/j.ctv22d4t3k.13

  • Aroney, Nicholas (2020). Australia’s Federal Framework : Constitutional Fundamentals, Federal Institutions, and Intergovernmental Balance. The Oxford Handbook of Australian Politics. (pp. 1-19) edited by Lewis, Jenny M. and Tiernan, Anne. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198805465.013.7

  • Aroney, Nicholas and Kennedy, Simon P. (2020). Johannes Althusius’s cosmopolitan defense of local politics. Cosmopolitanism and its discontents: rethinking politics in the age of Brexit and Trump. (pp. 19-36) edited by Lee Ward. Lanham, MD, United States: Rowman & Littlefield.

  • Aroney, Nicholas (2020). Christianity, sovereignty, and global law. Christianity and global law. (pp. 267-286) edited by Rafael Domingo and John Witte, Jr.. Abingdon, Oxon, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003015208-19

  • Aroney, Nicholas (2019). Federalism and courts: research avenues. A research agenda for federalism studies. (pp. 61-75) edited by John Kincaid. Glos, United Kingdom: Edward Elgar Publishing. doi: 10.4337/9781788112970

  • Aroney, Nicholas and Saunders, Benjamin B. (2019). Freedom of religion. The legal protection of rights in Australia. (pp. 285-312) edited by Matthew Groves, Janina Boughey and Dan Meagher. London, United Kingdom: Bloomsbury. doi: 10.5040/9781509919857.ch-015

  • Aroney, Nicholas (2019). Natural law and federalism. Research handbook on natural law theory. (pp. 371-389) Cheltenham, United Kingdom: Edward Elgar Publishing. doi: 10.4337/9781788110044.00031

  • Aroney, Nicholas (2019). Originalism and explanatory power: text, structure and the interpretation of constitutions. Law under a democratic constitution: essays in honour of Jeffrey Goldsworthy. (pp. 89-111) edited by Lisa Burton Crawford, Patrick Emerton and Dale Smith. London, United Kingdom: Hart Publishing. doi: 10.5040/9781509920884.ch-006

  • Aroney, Nicholas (2019). Our common lives. Nonsense on stilts: rescuing human rights in Australia. (pp. 91-96) edited by Damien Freeman and Catherine Renshaw. Queensland, Australia: Kapunda Press.

  • Aroney, Nicholas (2018). Constitutional fundamentals. A commitment to excellence: essays in honour of Emeritus Professor Gabriël A. Moens. (pp. 12-31) edited by Augusto Zimmermann. Brisbane, Australia: Connor Court Publishing.

  • Aroney, Nicholas (2018). Federalism: Design. Oxford Handbook of the Australian Constitution. (pp. 727-758) edited by Cheryl Saunders and Adrienne Stone. Oxford United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.

  • Aroney, Nicholas and Sharman, Campbell (2018). Territorial Politics and the Federal Frame in Australia. Handbook of territorial politics. (pp. 388-400) edited by Klaus Detterbeck and Eve Hepburn. Cheltenham, United Kingdom: Edward Elgar. doi: 10.4337/9781784718770.00034

  • Ahdar, Rex and Aroney, Nicholas (2018). The Shari'a in the Western landscape. The Shari'a: history, ethics and law. (pp. 193-213) edited by Amyn B. Sajoo. London, United Kingdom: I.B. Tauris in association with The Institute of Ismaili Studies. doi: 10.5040/9781350989252.ch-011

  • Aroney, Nicholas (2018). The justification of judicial review: text, structure, history and principle. Australian constitutional values. (pp. 27-42) edited by Rosalind Dixon. Oxford, United Kingdom: Hart Publishing. doi: 10.5040/9781509918430.ch-002

  • Aroney, Nicholas and Kincaid, John (2017). Comparative Observations and Conclusions. Courts in federal countries: federalists or unitarists?. (pp. 482-540) edited by Nicholas Aroney and John Kincaid. Toronto, Canada: University of Toronto Press.

  • Aroney, Nicholas and Kincaid, John (2017). Introduction: courts in federal countries. Courts in federal countries: federalists or unitarists?. (pp. 3-28) edited by Nicholas Aroney and John Kincaid. Toronto, Canada: University of Toronto Press.

  • Aroney, Nicholas , Harrison, Joel and Babie, Paul (2017). Religious freedom under the Victorian Charter of Rights. Australian Charters of Rights a Decade On. (pp. 1-19) edited by Matthew Groves and Colin Campbell. Annandale, Australia: Federation Press.

  • Aroney, Nicholas (2017). Subsidiarity, federalism and the best constitution: Thomas Aquinas on city, province and empire. Aquinas and modern law. (pp. 419-486) edited by Richard O. Brooks and James Bernard Murphy. Abingdon, Oxon, United Kingdom: Taylor and Francis. doi: 10.4324/9781315097145

  • Aroney, Nicholas T. (2017). The Federal Condition. The Federal Idea: Between Governance and Political Life. (pp. 29-52) edited by Amnon Lev. United Kingdom: Hart Publishing. doi: 10.5040/9781509907144.ch-001

  • Aroney, Nicholas T. (2017). The High Court of Australia: textual unitarism vs structural federalism. Courts in Federal Countries: Federalists or Unitarists?. (pp. 29-68) edited by Nicholas Aroney and John Kincaid. Toronto, Canada: University of Toronto Press. doi: 10.3138/j.ctt1whm97c.6

  • Aroney, Nicholas (2016). Devolutionary federalism within a Westminster-derived context. The Scottish independence referendum: constitutional and political implications. (pp. 295-333) edited by Aileen McHarg, Tom Mullen, Alan Page and Neil Walker. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.

  • Aroney, Nicholas and Gautam, Khagesh (2016). Federalism - a selected comparison. Australia and India: a comparative overview of the law and legal practice. (pp. 1-19) edited by Shaun Star. Gurgaon, Haryana, India: Universal Law Publishing.

  • Aroney, Nicholas (2016). Types of Federalism. Max Planck Encyclopedia of Comparative Constitutional Law. (pp. 1-18) edited by Rainer Grote, Frauke Lachenmann and Rüdiger Wolfrum. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.

  • Aroney, Nicholas T. (2015). On the Distinction Between Law and Convention. Constitutional Conventions in Westminster Systems: Controversies, Changes and Challenges. (pp. 24-50) edited by Brian Galligan and Scott Brenton. Melbourne: Cambridge University Press. doi: 10.1017/CBO9781316178560.003

  • Aroney, Nicholas T. and Patapan, Haig (2015). The Gibbs Court. The High Court, the Constitution and Australian Politics. (pp. 220-243) edited by Rosalind Dixon and George Williams. Port Melbourne, VIC, Australia: Cambridge University Press. doi: 10.1017/CBO9781107445253.012

  • Aroney, Nicholas, Bassu, Carla and Popp, Carolyn (2014). Legal transplants in the Australian legal system. Comparative law in legislative drafting: the increasing importance of dialogue amongst parliaments. (pp. 161-184) edited by Nicola Lupo and Lucia Scaffardi. The Hauge, Netherlands: Eleven International Publishing.

  • Aroney, Nicholas (2014). Subsidiarity in the writings of Aristotle and Aquinas. Global perspectives on subsidiarity. (pp. 9-27) edited by Michelle Evans and Augusto Zimmerman. Dordrecht Netherlands: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-94-017-8810-6_2

  • Aroney, Nicholas (2014). The constitutional first principles of royal commissions. Royal commissions and public inquiries: practice and potential. (pp. 23-35) edited by Scott Prasser and Helen Tracey. Ballarat, VIC, Australia: Connor Court Publishing.

  • Appleby, Gabrielle, Aroney, Nicholas and John, Thomas (2012). Australian federalism: Past, present and future tense. The future of Australian federalism: Comparative and interdisciplinary perspectives. (pp. 1-24) edited by Gabrielle Appleby, Nicholas T. Aroney and Thomas John. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. doi: 10.1017/CBO9780511902550.003

  • Aroney, Nicholas T., Prasser, Scott and Taylor, Alison (2012). Federal diversity in Australia – a counter narrative. The future of Australian federalism: Comparative and interdisciplinary perspectives. (pp. 272-300) edited by Gabrielle Appleby, Nicholas T. Aroney and Thomas John. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.

  • Aroney, Nicholas (2012). Popular ratification of the state constitutions. Tomorrow's federation: reforming Australian government. (pp. 210-226) edited by Paul Kildea, Andrew Lynch and George Williams. Annandale, NSW, Australia: Federation Press.

  • Appleby, Gabrielle, Aroney, Nicholas and John, Thomas (2012). Preface. The future of Australian federalism: comparative and interdisciplinary perspectives. (pp. xix-xix) edited by Gabrielle Appleby, Nicholas Aroney and Thomas John. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.

  • Aroney, Nicholas T. (2011). Bund, Bundesstaat and Staatenbund: The German Element in Australian Federalism. The German Constitution Turns 60 : Basic Law and Commonwealth Constitution, German and Australian Perspectives. (pp. 31-53) edited by Jürgen Bröhmer. Frankfurt am Main, Germany: Peter Lang Publishing.

  • Aroney, Nicholas and Miller, Bradley (2011). Finnis on liberty. Jurisprudence of Liberty. (pp. 247-269) edited by Suri Ratnapala and Gabriel A. Moens. Chatswood, NSW, Australia: LexisNexis Butterworths.

  • Aroney, Nicholas (2010). Australia. Diversity and Unity in Federal Countries. (pp. 17-46) McGill-Queen's University Press.

  • Aroney, Nicholas T. (2010). Australia. Diversity and unity in federal countries. (pp. 16-46) edited by Luis Moreno and César Colino. Montreal, Canada: McGill-Queen's University Press.

  • Aroney, Nicholas T. (2010). Reinvigorating Australian Federalism. Supreme Court History Program Yearbook 2009. (pp. 75-87) edited by Michael White and Aladin Rahemtula. Brisbane, Australia: Supreme Court Library Queensland.

  • Aroney, Nicholas (2010). The people of Queensland and their constitution: re-establishing Queensland's constitution on its own ground. Queensland's Constitution: Past, present and future. (pp. 214-232) edited by Michael White and Aladin Rahemtula. Brisbane, Australia: Supreme Court of Queensland Library.

  • Aroney, Nicholas and Ahdar, Rex (2010). The topography of Shari'a in the western political landscape. Shari'a in the West. (pp. 1-31) edited by Nicholas Aroney and Rex Ahdar. Oxford, U.K.: Oxford University Press.

  • Aroney, Nicholas T. (2009). Before Federalism? Thomas Aquinas, Jean Quidort and Nicolas Cusanus. The Ashgate Research Companion on Federalism. (pp. 31-48) edited by Ann Ward and Lee Ward. London: Ashgate. doi: 10.4324/9781315612966

  • Aroney, Nicholas T. (2009). The implied rights revolution: Sacrificing means to ends?. Constitutional Advancement in a Frozen Continent: Essays in Honour of George Winterton. (pp. 173-188) edited by H. P. Lee and Peter Gerangelos. Sydney: Federation Press.

  • Aroney, Nicholas T. (2008). Bicameralism and representations of democracy. Restraining Elective Dictatorship: The Upper House Solution?. (pp. 20-35) edited by Nicholas Aroney, Scott Prasser and John Nethercote. Perth, Australia: University of Western Australia Press.

  • Aroney, Nicholas T. (2008). Unity and Diversity in Federal Australia. Dialogues on Diversity and Unity in Federal Countries. (pp. 10-12) edited by Rupak Chattopadhyay and Abigail Ostien Karos. Montreal, Canada: McGill-Queen's University Press.

  • Prasser, S., Nethercote, J. R. and Aroney, N. (2008). Upper Houses and the Problem of Elective Dictatorship. Restraining Elective Dictatorship: The Upper House Solution?. (pp. xv-xxii) edited by Nicholas Aroney, Scott Prasser and JR Nethercote. Perth Western Australia: University of Western Australia Press.

  • Aroney, Nicholas T. (2006). Thomas McCawley v The King. State Consitutional Landmarks. (pp. 69-97) edited by George Winterton. Annandale, NSW, Australia: Federation Press.

  • Aroney, Nicholas T. (2005). Federal constitutionalism: European constitutionalism in comparative perspective. Getuigend staatsrecht: Liber amicorum A.K. Koekkoek. (pp. 229-251) edited by F. H. van der Burg, A. K. Koekkoek;, voorw. Paul Zoontjens and Hans Peters. Nijmegen, The Netherlands: Wolf Legal Publishers.

  • Aroney, N. T. (2004). Althusius at the Antipodes: The Politica and Australian Federalism. Jurisprudenz, Politische Theorie und Politische Theologie. (pp. 529-546) edited by Frederick Carney, Heinz Schilling and Dieter Wyduckel. Germany: Duncker & Humblot.

  • Aroney, N. T. (2003). The Griffith doctrine: Reservation and Immunity. Queensland Judges on the High Court. (pp. 219-254) edited by Dr Michael White; Aladin Rahemtula. Brisbane: Supreme Court of Queensland Library.

  • Aroney, N. T. (2002). Griffith's Vision of Australian Federalism. Sir Samuel Griffith: The law and the constitution. (pp. 179-201) edited by Dr M. White and A. Rahemtula. NSW: Thomson Lawbook Co.

  • Aroney, N. T. (2001). Implied constitutional rights: Implications & references. The Oxford companion to the high court of Australia. (pp. 336-337) edited by Tony Blackshield, Michael Coper and George Williams. Vic: Oxford University Press.

  • Aroney, N. T. (2000). Federal representation and the framers of the Australian Constitution. Constitutional and international law perspectives: Achievements and challenges. (pp. 13-53) edited by G. Moens. Brisbane, Queensland: University of Queensland Press.

  • Aroney, N. T. (2000). The freedom of political communication since Lange: Commentary. The High Court in Transition: Essays in Constitutional Law. (pp. 21-34) edited by A. Stone and G. Williams. NSW: The Federation Press.

Journal Article

Conference Publication

Edited Outputs

Other Outputs

PhD and MPhil Supervision

Current Supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

    Other advisors:

Completed Supervision