Level Twenty Seven Chambers is delighted to announce that the article “Vanderstock v Victoria: Free Trade and Federalism” by Sarah Spottiswood and Felicity Nagorcka has been awarded the 2025 Saunders Prize for Excellence in Constitutional Law. This prestigious award, presented by the Australian Association of Constitutional Law (AACL), recognises exceptional scholarship and research in Australian constitutional law.
The judging panel, comprising the Honourable Justice (Retd) William Gummow AC KC, Professor Michael Crommelin AO, and the Honourable Virginia Bell AC KC, acknowledged the outstanding expertise and achievement of Sarah and Felicity, who are newly admitted members of the Queensland Bar.
Published in the Public Law Review in May 2024, the article provides a critical analysis of the High Court’s decision in Vanderstock v Victoria (2023) 98 ALJR 208, highlighting the complexities and potential inconsistencies introduced by the ruling. The authors’ clear and compelling arguments make a significant contribution to the ongoing discourse on Australia’s federal system.
For more information on the 2025 Saunders Prize, see here.
To read the original publication, Vanderstock v Victoria: Free Trade and Federalism, see here.
