Contents

Part I--Preliminary                                                                                                                 1

1............ Short title [see Note 1] ....................................................................... 1

2............ Commencement [see Note 1] .............................................................. 1

3............ Interpretation ...................................................................................... 1

4............ Meaning of day on which election held .............................................. 4

5............ Meaning of day on which result of election declared ......................... 4

6............ Powers includes functions and duties ................................................. 4

Part II--Australian Capital Territory                                                                           5

7............ Establishment of body politic ............................................................ 5

Part III--Legislative Assembly                                                                                       6

Division 1--Constitution of Assembly                                                                 6

8............ Legislative Assembly .......................................................................... 6

9............ Oath or Affirmation of Allegiance ...................................................... 6

10.......... Term of office of member ................................................................... 6

11.......... Presiding Officer of Assembly ........................................................... 6

12.......... Vacation of office by Presiding Officer .............................................. 7

13.......... Resignation of members ...................................................................... 7

14.......... Disqualification of member ................................................................. 8

15.......... Conflict of interest .............................................................................. 8

16.......... Dissolution of Assembly by Governor‑General ................................ 9

Division 2--Procedure of Assembly                                                                    11

17.......... Times of meetings ............................................................................. 11

18.......... Procedure at meetings ....................................................................... 11

19.......... Resolution of no confidence in Chief Minister ................................. 12

20.......... Minutes of meetings ......................................................................... 12

21.......... Standing rules and orders .................................................................. 12

Part IV--Powers of Legislative Assembly                                                              13

22.......... Power of Assembly to make laws .................................................... 13

23.......... Matters excluded from power to make laws .................................... 13

24.......... Powers, privileges and immunities of Assembly .............................. 14

25.......... Notification of enactment ................................................................. 14

26.......... Special procedures for making certain enactments ........................... 15

27.......... Crown may be bound ....................................................................... 16

28.......... Inconsistency with other laws .......................................................... 16

29.......... Avoidance of application of enactments to Parliament .................... 16

30.......... Judicial notice ................................................................................... 17

31.......... Publication of enactments ................................................................. 17

33.......... Application of Acts Interpretation Act ........................................... 17

34.......... Certain laws converted into enactments ........................................... 18

35.......... Disallowance of enactments ............................................................. 18

Part V--The Executive                                                                                                       20

36.......... Australian Capital Territory Executive ............................................ 20

37.......... General powers of Executive ............................................................ 20

38.......... Executive matters not limited by Schedule 4 .................................... 20

38A....... Executive's powers under Commonwealth Acts .............................. 20

39.......... Membership of Executive ................................................................. 20

40.......... Chief Minister for the Territory ....................................................... 21

41.......... Ministers for the Territory ............................................................... 21

42.......... Presiding Officer or Deputy Presiding Officer not to be a Minister 21

43.......... Ministerial portfolios ....................................................................... 22

44.......... Deputy Chief Minister for the Territory ......................................... 22

45.......... Resignation of Ministers .................................................................. 22

46.......... Vacation of office by Ministers ........................................................ 22

47.......... Vacancies in all Ministerial offices ................................................... 23

48.......... Resolution of no confidence in Chief Minister ................................. 24

Part VA--The Judiciary                                                                                                     25

48A....... Jurisdiction and powers of the Supreme Court ................................ 25

48AA.... ACT laws may give concurrent jurisdiction to the Federal Court of Australia        25

48B....... Retirement age of Judges etc. of the Supreme Court ........................ 25

48C....... Judicial commission .......................................................................... 25

48D....... Removal of a judicial officer from office ........................................... 26

Part VII--Finance                                                                                                                  28

57.......... Public money .................................................................................... 28

58.......... Withdrawals of public money .......................................................... 28

59.......... Financial relations between Commonwealth and Territory .............. 28

60.......... Borrowing from Commonwealth ...................................................... 28

65.......... Proposal of money votes .................................................................. 29

Part VIII--Elections to Assembly                                                                                30

66.......... Interpretation .................................................................................... 30

66A....... Part to bind Crown ........................................................................... 30

66B....... Election of members ......................................................................... 30

67.......... Qualifications of candidates .............................................................. 30

67A....... General elections ............................................................................... 30

67B....... Electoral enactment ........................................................................... 30

67C....... Qualifications of electors .................................................................. 31

67D....... Territory electorates ......................................................................... 31

Part IX--Miscellaneous                                                                                                     33

69A....... Acts that bind States to bind Territory ............................................ 33

69.......... Trade and commerce to be free ......................................................... 33

70.......... Validity of certain actions ................................................................. 33

73.......... Remuneration and allowances ........................................................... 34

74.......... Regulations ....................................................................................... 35

Schedule 1                                                                                                                                   36

Schedule 2--Commonwealth Acts and provisions to become enactments 37

Schedule 4--Matters concerning which the Executive has power to govern the Territory               38

Schedule 5--Laws and provisions other than those that shall become enactments               41

Part 1--Ordinances of the Territory                                                                           41

Part 2--Acts of the Parliament of New South Wales in force in the Territory         42

Part 3--Imperial Acts in force in the Territory                                                     43

Notes                                                                                                                                            45

  

  

Notes to the Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act 1988

Note 1

The Australian Capital Territory (Self‑Government) Act 1988 as shown in this compilation comprises Act No. 106, 1988 amended as indicated in the Tables below.

The Australian Capital Territory (Self‑Government) Act 1988 was amended by the Australian Capital Territory (Self‑Government) Regulations 1989 (1989 No. 86 as amended by 1989 No. 87; 1990 No. 405 and SLI 2006 No. 39) and the Workplace Relations Amendment (Work Choices) (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2006 (No. 1) (SLI 2006 No. 50). The amendments are incorporated in this compilation.

All relevant information pertaining to application, saving or transitional provisions prior to 30 May 1997 is not included in this compilation. For subsequent information see Table A.

Table of Acts

Act	Number and year	Date of Assent	Date of commencement	Application, saving or transitional provisions
Australian Capital Territory (Self‑Government) Act 1988	106, 1988	6 Dec 1988	Ss. 1 and 2: Royal Assent Ss. 3--6, 8--21, 66--68, 73 and 74: 7 Dec 1988 (see Gazette 1988, No. S374) S. 34(8): 31 Jan 1989 (see Gazette 1989, No. S39) S. 56(1): (a) Remainder: 11 May 1989 (see Gazette 1989, No. S164)
Arts, Territories and Environment Legislation Amendment Act 1989	60, 1989	19 June 1989	Ss. 11 and 13: 7 Dec 1988 Part 5 (ss. 14, 15): 11 May 1989 (see s. 2(3) and Gazette 1989, No. S164) Remainder: Royal Assent	S. 8(2)
Arts, Sport, Environment, Tourism and Territories Legislation Amendment Act 1991	33, 1991	21 Mar 1991	Ss. 3 (in part) and 5: 1 July 1991 Remainder: Royal Assent	S. 5
Australian Capital Territory Self‑Government Legislation Amendment Act 1992	10, 1992	6 Mar 1992	Ss. 4, 7--9 and 11: (b) Remainder: Royal Assent	--
A.C.T. Supreme Court (Transfer) Act 1992	49, 1992	17 June 1992	1 July 1992	--
Territories Law Reform Act 1992	104, 1992	30 June 1992	S. 24: 1 July 1992 (c)	--
Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Consequential Amendments Act 1993	82, 1993	30 Nov 1993	Ss. 1, 2, 14, 16(2), 41, 42, 45, 46, 48(1) and 52--64: 1 Dec 1993 Remainder: 1 July 1994	--
Arts, Environment and Territories Legislation Amendment Act 1993	6, 1994	18 Jan 1994	S. 5: Royal Assent (d)	--
Australian Capital Territory Government Service (Consequential Provisions) Act 1994	92, 1994	29 June 1994	1 July 1994 (see Gazette 1994, No. S256)	--
Australian Capital Territory Electoral Legislation Amendment Act 1994	165, 1994	16 Dec 1994	16 Dec 1994	--
Euthanasia Laws Act 1997	17, 1997	27 Mar 1997	27 Mar 1997	--
Education Legislation Amendment Act 1997	66, 1997	30 May 1997	Schedule 1 (item 14): (e)	Sch. 1 (items 19--23) [see Table A]
Gas Pipelines Access (Commonwealth) Act 1998	101, 1998	30 July 1998	Schedule 1 (item 1): 30 July 1998 (f)	--
Australian Capital Territory Legislation Amendment Act 2003	1, 2003	24 Feb 2003	25 Feb 2003	--
Legislative Instruments (Transitional Provisions and Consequential Amendments) Act 2003	140, 2003	17 Dec 2003	S. 4 and Schedule 1 (item 11): (g)	S. 4 [see Table A]
Maritime Transport and Offshore Facilities Security Amendment (Security Plans and Other Measures) Act 2006	109, 2006	27 Sept 2006	Schedule 2 (items 9--11): Royal Assent	--

(a)     Subsection 56(1) of the Australian Capital Territory (Self‑Government) Act 1988 was repealed by section 22 of the Australian Capital Territory Government Service (Consequential Provisions) Act 1994 before a date was fixed for the commencement.

(b)    Subsection 2(2) of the Australian Capital Territory Self‑Government Legislation Amendment Act 1992 provides as follows:

                 (2)   Sections 4, 7, 8, 9 and 11 commence immediately after polling day for the second general election of members of the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory.

         Polling day for the second general election was 15 February 1992.

(c)     The Australian Capital Territory (Self‑Government) Act 1988 was amended by section 24 only of the Territories Law Reform Act 1992, subsection 2(3) of which provides as follows:

                 (3)   The remaining provisions of this Act commence on 1 July 1992.

(d)     The Australian Capital Territory (Self‑Government) Act 1988 was amended by section 5 only of the Arts, Environment and Territories Legislation Amendment Act 1993, subsection 2(1) of which provides as follows:

                 (1)   Subject to subsections (2) and (3), this Act commences on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.

(e)     The Australian Capital Territory (Self‑Government) Act 1988 was amended by Schedule 1 (Part 2) only of the Education Legislation Amendment Act 1997, subsection 2(4) of which provides as follows:

                 (4)   Parts 2, 3 and 4 of Schedule 1 commence immediately after the commencement of Part 1 of Schedule 1.

         Part 1 of Schedule 1 commenced on 1 December 1997.

(f)      The Australian Capital Territory (Self‑Government) Act 1988 was amended by Schedule 1 (item 1) of the Gas Pipelines Access (Commonwealth) Act 1998, subsection 2(1) of which provides as follows:

                 (1)   Subject to subsections (2) and (3), this Act commences at the commencement of sections 13 and 14 of the Gas Pipelines Access (South Australia) Act 1997 of South Australia.

         The Gas Pipelines Access (South Australia) Act 1997 of South Australia came into operation on 30 July 1998 (see South Australian Government Gazette 2 April 1998, p. 1606).

(g)     Subsection 2(1) (items 2 and 3) of the Legislative Instruments (Transitional Provisions and Consequential Amendments) Act 2003 provides as follows:

                 (1)   Each provision of this Act specified in column 1 of the table commences on the day or at the time specified in column 2 of the table.

 

Commencement information
Column 1	Column 2	Column 3
Provision(s)	Commencement	Date/Details
2.  Sections 4 and 5	Immediately after the commencement of sections 3 to 62 of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003	1 January 2005
3.  Schedule 1	Immediately after the commencement of sections 3 to 62 of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003	1 January 2005

Table of Amendments

ad. = added or inserted     am. = amended     rep. = repealed     rs. = repealed and substituted
Provision affected	How affected
Part I
S. 3 .....................................	am. No. 33, 1991; Nos. 10 and 49, 1992; Nos. 6 and 92, 1994
Part III
Division 1
S. 10 ...................................	am. No. 6, 1994
S. 13 ...................................	am. No. 6, 1994
S. 14 ...................................	am. No. 33, 1991; No. 82, 1993
S. 16....................................	am. No. 1, 2003
Division 2
S. 17 ...................................	am. No. 6, 1994
Part IV
S. 22 ...................................	am. No. 49, 1992
S. 23 ...................................	am. Statutory Rules 1989 No. 86 (as am. by Statutory Rules 1989 No. 87; SLI 2006 No. 39); No. 49, 1992; No. 17, 1997
S. 25 ...................................	am. No. 60, 1989; No. 6, 1994
S. 26 ...................................	am. No. 6, 1994
S. 28 ...................................	am. SLI 2006 No. 50
Note to s. 28(2) ..................	ad. SLI 2006 No. 50
S. 32....................................	rep. No. 109, 2006
S. 33 ...................................	am. No. 140, 2003
S. 34 ...................................	am. No. 60, 1989; No. 49, 1992; No. 6, 1994
S. 35....................................	am. No. 109, 2006
Part V
S. 37 ...................................	am. No. 6, 1994
S. 38A ................................	ad. No. 6, 1994
S. 41 ...................................	am. No. 10, 1992
S. 46 ...................................	am. No. 6, 1994; No. 1, 2003
S. 48 ...................................	am. No. 165, 1994; No. 1, 2003
Part VA
Part VA ..............................	ad. No. 49, 1992
S. 48A ................................	ad. No. 49, 1992
S. 48AA..............................	ad. No.101, 1998
Ss. 48B--48D.......................	ad. No. 49, 1992
Part VI ................................	rep. No. 92, 1994
Ss. 49--56 ...........................	rep. No. 92, 1994
S. 59 ...................................	am. No. 6, 1994
Ss. 61--63 ...........................	rep. No. 33, 1991
S. 64 ...................................	rep. No. 10, 1992
S. 65 ...................................	am. No. 6, 1994
Part VIII
S. 66 ...................................	rs. No. 10, 1992
Ss. 66A, 66B ......................	ad. No. 10, 1992
S. 67....................................	am. No. 1, 2003
S. 67A ................................	ad. No. 10, 1992
	am. No. 165, 1994; No. 1, 2003
S. 67B ................................	ad. No. 10, 1992
S. 67C ................................	ad. No. 10, 1992
	am. Nos. 6 and 165, 1994
S. 67D.................................	ad. No. 10, 1992
S. 67E .................................	ad. No. 10, 1992
	rep. No. 1, 2003
S. 68 ...................................	am. No. 10, 1992; No. 165, 1994
	rep. No. 1, 2003
Part IX
S. 69A ................................	ad. No. 6, 1994
S. 69 ...................................	am. No. 104, 1992
S. 70....................................	am. No. 1, 2003
S. 71 ...................................	rep. No. 92, 1994
S. 72 ...................................	rep. No. 6, 1994
S. 73 ...................................	am. No. 49, 1992; Nos. 6 and 92, 1994
S. 74 ...................................	am. No. 60, 1989
	rs. No. 6, 1994
Schedules
Schedule 2 .........................	am. No. 66, 1997
Schedule 3 .........................	am. Statutory Rules 1989 No. 86
	rep. No. 6, 1994
Schedule 4..........................	am. Statutory Rules 1989 No. 86 (as am. by SLI 2006 No. 39); No. 1, 2003
Schedule 5 .........................	am. Statutory Rules 1989 No. 86 (as am. by Statutory Rules 1990 No. 405)

Table A

Application, saving or transitional provisions

Education Legislation Amendment Act 1997 (No. 66, 1997)

Schedule 1

19  Purpose of this Part

This Part sets out transitional provisions relating to the transfer of the responsibility for the University of Canberra from the Commonwealth to the Australian Capital Territory.

20  Definitions

In this Part, unless the contrary intention appears:

ACT enactment means an enactment as defined by section 3 of the Australian Capital Territory (Self‑Government) Act 1988.

transfer day means the day on which Part 1 of this Schedule commences.

University means the University of Canberra established by section 4 of the University Act.

University Act means the University of Canberra Act 1989 as in force from time to time before the transfer day.

21  Terms and conditions of employment of University employees

If a person was employed by the University immediately before the transfer day, this Act does not affect the terms and conditions (including any accrued entitlement to benefits) of that employment.

22  Audit

If the transfer day is less than a year after the end of the last period in respect of which a report was made by the Auditor‑General under subsection 37(4) of the University Act, that subsection has effect in respect of the period (the final reporting period) beginning immediately after the end of that last period and ending immediately before the transfer day as if the reference to a year in that subsection were a reference to the final reporting period.

23  Annual report and financial statements

If the transfer day is less than a year after the end of the last year in respect of which a report was prepared under section 39 of the University Act, that section has effect in respect of the period beginning immediately after the end of that last year and ending immediately before the transfer day as if:

                     (a)  a reference in that section to a year were a reference to that period; and

                     (b)  a reference in that section to 31 December were a reference to the transfer day.

Legislative Instruments (Transitional Provisions and Consequential Amendments) Act 2003 (No. 140, 2003)

4  Transitional provisions

             (1)  If legislation introduced into the Parliament before the commencing day but commencing on or after that day:

                     (a)  authorises an instrument to be made in the exercise of a power delegated by the Parliament; and

                     (b)  is expressed to require that instrument to be published as a statutory rule under the Statutory Rules Publication Act 1903;

any instrument so made is taken to be an instrument referred to in paragraph 6(b) of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003 despite the repeal by this Act of the Statutory Rules Publication Act 1903.

             (2)  If legislation introduced into the Parliament before the commencing day but commencing on or after that day:

                     (a)  authorises an instrument to be made in the exercise of a power delegated by the Parliament; and

                     (b)  is expressed to declare that instrument to be a disallowable instrument for the purposes of section 46A of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901;

any instrument so made is taken to be an instrument referred to in subparagraph 6(d)(i) of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003 despite the repeal by this Act of section 46A of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901.

             (3)  If legislation that is in force immediately before the commencing day or that is introduced into the Parliament before that day but that commences on or after that day:

                     (a)  authorised or authorises an instrument to be made in the exercise of a power delegated by the Parliament that adversely affects the rights of a person, or results in the imposition of liabilities on a person; and

                     (b)  provided or provides that the instrument has effect, to the extent that it adversely affects those rights or results in the imposition of those liabilities, despite subsection 48(2) of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901, before the date of its notification in the Gazette;

that legislation is to be construed, on and after the commencing day or the day of its commencement, whichever last occurs, as if it had provided instead that the instrument, to the extent that it adversely affects those rights or results in the imposition of those liabilities, has effect, despite subsection 12(2) of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003, before its registration under that Act.

             (4)  If:

                     (a)  legislation (the enabling legislation) in force immediately before the commencing day:

                              (i)  authorises the making of an instrument; and

                             (ii)  does not declare such an instrument to be a disallowable instrument for the purposes of section 46A of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901 but nonetheless makes provision for its disallowance by the application, with or without modification, of the provisions of Part XII of that Act; and

                     (b)  an instrument is made in the exercise of that authority on or after the commencing day; and

                     (c)  the instrument is not a legislative instrument for the purposes of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003 or otherwise;

the enabling legislation has effect, on and after the commencing day, as if:

                     (d)  it had declared such instruments to be disallowable instruments for the purposes of section 46B of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901; and

                     (e)  it had provided for such modifications of the operation of that section as are necessary to ensure that the effect of the applied provisions of Part XII of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901 is preserved.

             (5)  In this section:

commencing day means the commencing day within the meaning of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003.