"Federation"

A Federal state (from the Latin word foedus, a treaty or alliance) is one formed by agreement by several states that continue to exist as parts of the federation (though they hand over some powers to the federal government). The federal state cannot abolish those parts or further reduce their powers without their consent. Typically a federal state needs a written constitution enforceable by a federal court (in Australia called "the High Court", in USA "the Supreme Court"), to regulate relations between the federation and its components. However, there should be some way of making agreed changes (constitutional amendments), since history does not stand still.

Return to The Australian Constitution: A First Reading.