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Commonwealth
The English noun commonwealth dates from the fifteenth century. The original phrase "common-wealth" or "the common weal" comes from the old meaning of "wealth," which is "well-being". The term literally meant "common well-being". Thus commonwealth originally meant a state or nation-state governed for the common good as opposed to an authoritarian state governed for the benefit of a given class of owners. The word was a calque on the Latin phrase res publica meaning "public affairs" or "the state", from which the English word republic arises.
Today the term is more general and means a political community.
The type of community indicated by the term commonwealth varies. For instance, in different contexts it might indicate:
- a political unit founded in law by agreement of the people for the common good;
- a federated union of constituent states;
- a community of sovereign states;
- a republic;
- a democratic constitutional monarchy;
When capitalized, "Commonwealth" normally refers to the 53 member Commonwealth of Nations — formerly the "British Commonwealth" — a loose confederation of nations formerly members of the British Empire (with one exception: Mozambique, which was a Portuguese possession). The Commonwealth's membership includes both republics and monarchies and the (appointed, not hereditary) head of the Commonwealth of Nations is Queen Elizabeth II. She also reigns as monarch directly in a number of states, known as Commonwealth Realms, notably the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Jamaica and New Zealand. The Commonwealth of Nations is sometimes referred to as the New Commonwealth in a British context.
Commonwealth courts portal
The new Commonwealth courts portal features Federal Law Search which provides selected information on cases initiated in the Federal Court of Australia and in the federal law jurisdiction of the Federal Magistrates Court of Australia...
Proposed 2008 Commonwealth legislation
The Government has released a list of proposed legislation to be introduced in its first sittings in Autumn 2008. In particular, the list specifies both introduction and passage in the Autumn sittings of the Workplace Relations Amendment (Transition to Forward...
Corporate governance in Commonwealth companies
The Commonwealth Authorities and Companies Amendment Bill 2008 (Bill) has been introduced into Parliament. The Bill proposes substantive amendments to the Commonwealth Authorities and Companies Act 1997 (CAC Act) to align it with the Corporations Act in terms of corporate...
Same-Sex Discrimination and Commonwealth superannuation schemes
Attorney-General Robert McClelland has introduced the Same-Sex Relationships (Equal Treatment in Commonwealth Laws ? Superannuation) Bill 2008 to remove same-sex discrimination from Acts governing Commonwealth superannuation schemes...
Removal of same-sex discrimination from Commonwealth laws
Attorney-General Robert McClelland has introduced into Parliament the Same-Sex Relationships (Equal Treatment In Commonwealth Laws ? General Law Reform) Bill 2008, containing the second stage of legislation removing same-sex discrimination from a range of Commonwealth laws...
Search and seizure: LATERZA V. COMMONWEALTH (COA 1/11/2008)
LATERZA V. COMMONWEALTH CRIMINAL: Search and Seizure 2007-CA-000006 PUBLISHED: AFFIRMING PANEL: THOMPSON PRESIDING; BUCKINGHAM, HENRY CONCUR COUNTY: BOONE DATE RENDERED: 01/11/2008 TC did not err by admitting evidence of marijuana and drug paraphernia seized following trash pulls and obtained subsequent to the videotaped surveillance of Laterza's residence...















