User:Stephen Bain/Cth v Tas

Commonwealth v Tasmania, also known as the Tasmanian Dam case, was a significant Australian court case decided in the High Court of Australia on 1 July 1983, upholding federal legislation that had the effect of blocking the Government of Tasmania from constructing the proposed Franklin Dam.

Appearances
Robert Ellicott QC, who had been Attorney-General of Australia under the Fraser government, and Murray Gleeson QC, future Chief Justice of Australia, appeared for the Government of Tasmania. The Commonwealth was represented by the Solicitor-General, Sir Maurice Byers QC.

Many of the other Australian states appeared as interveners in the case. New South Wales (represented by the then Solicitor-General of New South Wales, Mary Gaudron) and Victoria intervened in support of the Commonwealth. Queensland intervened in support of Tasmania.

The Wilderness Society appeared as an amicus curiae, represented by Michael Black QC and Bryan Keon-Cohen.

Hearings were held in Canberra from 31 May to 3 June, and from 7 June to 10 June.

Judgment
Each of the seven judges delivered a separate judgment.