University Legislation
The University was established by the Commonwealth Government in 1967 as the Canberra College of Advanced Education, under the Canberra College of Advanced Education Act 1967(Cth).The College became the University of Canberra with effect from 1 January 1990. Jurisdiction for the University was passed to the Australian Capital Territory on 1 December 1997, and is governed under the University of Canberra Act 1989. Sections 40, 41 and 42 of the Act define the powers of the University to make statutes, rules and orders to carry out or give effect to the Act.
This subsidiary legislation is used for the purposes of management, good government and discipline of the University and provides procedures and details to flesh out necessarily brief descriptions of powers of the University set out in the Act. This subsidiary legislation has the force of law subject to the constraints of any superior legislation such as other acts of the ACT, the Commonwealth, and the Australian Constitution.
Statutes, Rules and Orders
The statutes and rules shown on these sites are those currently in force and should be read in conjunction with the University's policies and procedures. Repealed and amended Statutes and Rules are available by contacting the Policy Team (policy@canberra.edu.au).
Statutes
Statutes are made under section 40 of the University of Canberra Act 1989 (ACT). New or amending statutes are first considered by the Legislation Committee of Council and, if endorsed, considered by Council. Statutes are then referred to the ACT Executive. Once signed they are "notified" as a Disallowable Instrument.
A statute comes into effect on the date of "notification" or an alternative date of commencement if specified in the statute.
Rules
Rules are subsidiary to Statutes and are made under subsection 40(3) of the University of Canberra Act 1989 (ACT). New or amending rules are first considered by the Legislation Committee of Council and, if endorsed, considered by Council. Unlike statutes, rules do not need to be submitted to the ACT Executive.
The commencement date for each rule is specified in the rule. Rules are only effective while the "parent" statute is in force.
The rules and their "parent" statutes are listed on the Relationship between Statutes and Rules (document has been archived).
Orders
Orders may be made under subsection 40(3) of the University of Canberra Act 1989 (ACT). The University does not currently make Orders.
Comments and Feedback
The University subsidiary legislation is evolving over time to meet the needs of the University to manage its affairs. Students and staff of the University are the persons principally affected by this legislation and comment about the operation of the statutes and rules would be welcomed. Comments should be directed to the Legal Team (legal@canberra.edu.au).