About
The Saunders Prize for Excellence in Scholarship in Constitutional Law (Saunders Prize) is named in honour of Laureate Professor Emeritus Cheryl Saunders AO, in recognition of her exceptional eminence in constitutional law and her leadership in the creation of the AACL.
The Saunders Prize will be awarded to the author of an article or note on a subject of constitutional law, published in an Australian legal journal in the preceding calendar year, which, in the opinion of the Panel, reflects the highest standards of research and scholarship. The Saunders Prize will be judged by a Panel consisting of three eminent constitutional law scholars or practitioners, appointed for each year by resolution of the Council of the AACL. At least one member of the Panel is a member of the Council of the AACL.
Call for Nominations
The AACL will next call for nominations for the 2024 Saunders Prize. The winner of the Saunders Prize in 2024 will be awarded $1,000. Nominations should take the following form:
- A nominated article should be sent by way of e-mail attachment to the AACL Council at (with the subject line “Saunders Prize”).
- The article should be in the form in which it was published. Manuscripts in other forms will not be accepted.
- In addition, a covering letter should be included containing the details of the nominating party and (if different) the article’s author. The covering letter should also confirm that the article was published in an Australian legal journal in 2023.
- An article may be nominated by an individual or by a law journal. However, each individual and each law journal is limited to one nomination.
The Judging Panel for the Prize in 2024 is yet to be fixed.
It is expected that the last dates for nominations will be 1 June 2024.
Past Judges
Past judges of the Saunders Prize have included:
- Prof the Hon William Gummow AC
- The Hon Susan Crennan AC QC
- The Hon Virginia Bell AC SC
- Prof Michael Crommelin AO
- The Hon Alan Robertson SC
Past Winners
2023
- Janina Boughey and Anne Carter, ‘Constitutional Freedoms and Statutory Executive Powers’ (2022) 45(3) Melbourne University Law Review 903
2022
- Peta Stephenson, ‘The Relationship between the Royal Prerogative and Statute in Australia’ (2021) 44(3) Melbourne University Law Review 1001
2021
- Oscar I Roos, ‘The Kirk Structural Constitutional Implication’ (2020) 44(1) Melbourne University Law Review 345
2020 (Joint Winners)
- Evelyn Douek, ‘All Out of Proportion: The Ongoing Disagreement about Structured Proportionality in Australia’ (2019) 47(4) Federal Law Review 551
- Daniel Reynolds, ‘The Injunction in Section 75(v) of the Constitution’ (2019) 30(3) Public Law Review 211
2019
- Kieran Pender, ‘“Silent Members of Society”? Public Servants and the Freedom of Political Communication in Australia’ (2018) 29 Public Law Review 327
2018
- James Stellios, ‘The Masking of Judicial Power Values: Historical Analogies and Double Function Provisions’ (2017) 28(2) Public Law Review 138
2017
- Elisa Arcioni, ‘The Core of the Australian Constitutional People: “The People” as “The Electors”’ (2016) 39(1) UNSW Law Journal 421
2016 (Joint Winners)
- Selena Bateman, ‘Constitutional Dimensions of State Executive Power: An Analysis of the Power to Contract and Spend’ (2015) 26(4) Public Law Review 255
- Brendan Lim, ‘Laboratory Federalism and the Kable Principle’ (2014) 42 Federal Law Review 519