Criminal Law In Australia During The 1900's

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On January 1st, 1901, an Australian Constitution took effect which gave Australia a set of regulations to follow. It had been voted by the people in a series of referendums, as they were aware of the need for order and rules in Australia. This new proposition would have a major effect on how the people of Australia were treated and managed during the 1900's.

The Immigration Act of 1901 was a major part of the new laws passed by the new Federal Parliament, which restricted any non-European immigrants from entering Australia. Other elements included in these new laws were the Pacific Islander Labourers Act and Section 15 of the 1901 Post and Telegraph Act, which instructed that ships carrying Australian mails to employ only white labour. It …show more content…
This basic set of laws was provided to enable citizens to live in a society that was safe, secure, and free from physical harm, theft and harassment. It enforced 'sanctions', in the form of penalties such as fines and/or imprisonment, on those who committed criminal acts considered bad enough to deserve punishment. Criminal law punished people who chose to commit homicide, assault, sexual offences, property offences, theft, and so on. It originated from both common law and out of previous governmental acts, such as the Crimes Act in 1900. That act states that 'the provisions of the act, so far as they could be applied, should be in force with respect to all offences, whether at common law or by statute, whensoever committed and in whatsoever court tried' (AustLII Co-Directors, 30 October 2010). The Australian System uses the common law, therefore in cases involving private individuals in society is under 'civil law'. These laws cover disputes such as accidents, contract issues, or the dividing up of a will that are between private people or organisations. These laws affected Australians for the better, allowing them to live in a secure environment where there was as little violence as …show more content…
Granting women the right to vote was first introduced by New Zealand in 1893, followed by South Australia a year later. South Australia was the first Australian colony to grant women (over the age of 21) the right to vote and stand for election. This action was soon followed by Western Australia. Countries such as the United States and Great Britain were very behind on allowing women these roles, as the majority of those women wanted to infiltrate men's politics, whereas in the colonies women purely wanted the right to nominate a government that gave fair laws. Instead of allowing just a small group of women to make decisions, men felt it was better to create a democracy where every opinion could be shared, but still keeping women at home in their 'rightful' place. When Australia was federated in 1901, the colonies came together to create the Commonwealth of Australia. Parliament continued to be discussed in 1902, when it was finally decided that women all over Australia, not only South Australia and Western Australia, were granted access to vote. Unfortunately, it took another 6 decades to allow all women the opportunity to stand for parliament. Joyce Steele was now happy to join the Legislative Council Election, making history as the first women elected into an Australian
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