Politicians making construction law: real-world tools to counsel and discipline legislators

Politicians making construction law: real-world tools to counsel and discipline legislators

Each time politicians make construction law, change is effected to the construction industry, the Australian economy, and Australian life, as Professor John Sharkey’s 1965-2016 survey of construction law matters in the High Court evidences. Yet, as law made by judges about unprecedented regulation of construction for offshore oil and gas under the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd governments demonstrates, for example, there are large questions about construction law made by politicians.

Presenting the findings of a sustained research programme about the large questions, this paper identifies real-world ways construction law professionals can better understand, and more effectively counsel and discipline, the making of construction law in circumstances of politics.