David Flint
Encyclopedia
Professor David Flint, AM, LLM
(Syd
), BSc
(Lond
), DSU (Paris) is an Australia
n legal academic, known for his leadership of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy
and for his tenure as head of the Australian Broadcasting Authority
.
He studied at Sydney Boys High School
before studying law, economics and international relations at the Universities of London
, Paris
and Sydney
, leading to a career in the law and in the academy. Flint states that was "a socialist in his student days". He was Dean of Law at the University of Technology, Sydney
from 1987 until 1997. He is currently Second Vice-President and National President for Australia of the World Jurists Association. He is also president of the Federation of Australian Branches of the English Speaking Union and was for long a board member and former editor of the Australian Branch of the International Law Association.
He was awarded World Outstanding Legal Scholar, World Jurists Association, Barcelona, in October 1991. On 12 June 1995 was made a Member of the Order of Australia "In recognition of service to the print media, particularly as Chairman of the Australian Press Council and to international relations".
from 1987 until 1997.
In 1998, he was appointed to the Australian Broadcasting Authority
. He resigned from the ABA in 2004, after a controversy over a letter which he had sent to broadcaster Alan Jones
in the leadup to Flint's heading the ABA's cash for comment enquiry into commercial broadcasting. As chairman of the ABA, Flint was chairman of the inquiry. The well-known broadcaster John Laws
, also involved in the inquiry, stated he had heard Jones say that he had "instructed" the Prime Minister to reappoint Flint in 2001.
Flint insists that his resignation was "not an admission of guilt." and asserts that he had forgotten the letter. Flint claimed that, despite a thorough Freedom of Information investigation, the one letter proliferated into a 'series of fan letters' in the media. The television program Media Watch, whose pursuit of the story was recognised by a Walkley Award for investigative journalism, provided opportunity for Flint to unambiguously deny the existence of more than one letter. According to Media Watch, Flint's reply "did not deny the existence of the correspondence". Further, Flint asserted that Laws mistakenly thought Flint was behind more recent ABA action against him. On the contrary, Flint claimed in his book, Malice in Media Land, that he had dissented from the decision to proceed against Laws on the grounds that it was both unjustified and unlawful.
, in opposition to Australian republicanism. His book, The Cane Toad Republic, was used in the 1999 referendum campaign
. This was followed in 2003 by Twilight of The Elites, which was critical of what Flint saw as the elites. In support of Australia's current constitutional arrangements, and the role of the Australian Crown
in it, Flint has been National Convenor of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy
since 1998, and a board member of the Samuel Griffith Society, a society dedicated to the cause of federalism. He is a patron of the International Monarchist League
in Australia, formed by certain Australian Life Members of the International Monarchist League in London, and which seeks to advance the cause of Constitutional Monarchy
with a hereditary king as the most ideal form of government for the entire world.
Master of Laws
The Master of Laws is an advanced academic degree, pursued by those holding a professional law degree, and is commonly abbreviated LL.M. from its Latin name, Legum Magister. The University of Oxford names its taught masters of laws B.C.L...
(Syd
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
), BSc
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
(Lond
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
), DSU (Paris) is an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n legal academic, known for his leadership of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy
Australians for Constitutional Monarchy
Australians for Constitutional Monarchy is a group that aims to preserve Australia's current constitutional monarchy, with Elizabeth II as Queen of Australia...
and for his tenure as head of the Australian Broadcasting Authority
Australian Broadcasting Authority
The Australian Broadcasting Authority was an Australian government agency whose main roles were to regulate broadcasting, radiocommunications and telecommunications....
.
Background
Flint is of Dutch-Indonesian descent on his mother's side.He studied at Sydney Boys High School
Sydney Boys High School
Sydney Boys High School is an academically selective public secondary school for boys, located in the City of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, with 1,180 students, from years 7 to 12...
before studying law, economics and international relations at the Universities of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
and Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
, leading to a career in the law and in the academy. Flint states that was "a socialist in his student days". He was Dean of Law at the University of Technology, Sydney
University of Technology, Sydney
The University of Technology Sydney is a university in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The university was founded in its current form in 1981, although its origins trace back to the 1870s. UTS is notable for its central location as the only university with its main campuses within the Sydney CBD...
from 1987 until 1997. He is currently Second Vice-President and National President for Australia of the World Jurists Association. He is also president of the Federation of Australian Branches of the English Speaking Union and was for long a board member and former editor of the Australian Branch of the International Law Association.
He was awarded World Outstanding Legal Scholar, World Jurists Association, Barcelona, in October 1991. On 12 June 1995 was made a Member of the Order of Australia "In recognition of service to the print media, particularly as Chairman of the Australian Press Council and to international relations".
Regulator
Flint was head of the Australian Press CouncilAustralian Press Council
The Australian Press Council is the self-regulatory body of the Australian print media. It was established in 1976 and is a private organisation. Its aims are to help preserve the traditional freedom of the press within Australia and to ensure that the free press acts responsibly and ethically...
from 1987 until 1997.
In 1998, he was appointed to the Australian Broadcasting Authority
Australian Broadcasting Authority
The Australian Broadcasting Authority was an Australian government agency whose main roles were to regulate broadcasting, radiocommunications and telecommunications....
. He resigned from the ABA in 2004, after a controversy over a letter which he had sent to broadcaster Alan Jones
Alan Jones (radio broadcaster)
Alan Belford Jones AO is an Australian radio broadcaster, former rugby union and rugby league coach and administrator.Jones hosts Sydney's most popular breakfast radio program, on radio station 2GB...
in the leadup to Flint's heading the ABA's cash for comment enquiry into commercial broadcasting. As chairman of the ABA, Flint was chairman of the inquiry. The well-known broadcaster John Laws
John Laws
Richard John Sinclair "John" Laws, CBE , an Australian radio presenter, sometimes known as Lawsie, was from the 1970s until his retirement in 2007, the host of a hugely successful morning radio program, which mixed music with interviews, opinion, live advertising readings and listener talkback...
, also involved in the inquiry, stated he had heard Jones say that he had "instructed" the Prime Minister to reappoint Flint in 2001.
Flint insists that his resignation was "not an admission of guilt." and asserts that he had forgotten the letter. Flint claimed that, despite a thorough Freedom of Information investigation, the one letter proliferated into a 'series of fan letters' in the media. The television program Media Watch, whose pursuit of the story was recognised by a Walkley Award for investigative journalism, provided opportunity for Flint to unambiguously deny the existence of more than one letter. According to Media Watch, Flint's reply "did not deny the existence of the correspondence". Further, Flint asserted that Laws mistakenly thought Flint was behind more recent ABA action against him. On the contrary, Flint claimed in his book, Malice in Media Land, that he had dissented from the decision to proceed against Laws on the grounds that it was both unjustified and unlawful.
Monarchist
Flint is one of Australia's most prominent constitutional monarchistsMonarchism
Monarchism is the advocacy of the establishment, preservation, or restoration of a monarchy as a form of government in a nation. A monarchist is an individual who supports this form of government out of principle, independent from the person, the Monarch.In this system, the Monarch may be the...
, in opposition to Australian republicanism. His book, The Cane Toad Republic, was used in the 1999 referendum campaign
Australian republic referendum, 1999
The Australian republic referendum held on 6 November 1999 was a two-question referendum to amend the Constitution of Australia. The first question asked whether Australia should become a republic with a President appointed by Parliament following a bi-partisan appointment model which had...
. This was followed in 2003 by Twilight of The Elites, which was critical of what Flint saw as the elites. In support of Australia's current constitutional arrangements, and the role of the Australian Crown
Monarchy in Australia
The Monarchy of Australia is a form of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign of Australia. The monarchy is a constitutional one modelled on the Westminster style of parliamentary government, incorporating features unique to the Constitution of Australia.The present monarch is...
in it, Flint has been National Convenor of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy
Australians for Constitutional Monarchy
Australians for Constitutional Monarchy is a group that aims to preserve Australia's current constitutional monarchy, with Elizabeth II as Queen of Australia...
since 1998, and a board member of the Samuel Griffith Society, a society dedicated to the cause of federalism. He is a patron of the International Monarchist League
International Monarchist League
The International Monarchist League is an organisation dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the monarchical system of government and the principle of monarchy worldwide...
in Australia, formed by certain Australian Life Members of the International Monarchist League in London, and which seeks to advance the cause of Constitutional Monarchy
Constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a constitution, whether it be a written, uncodified or blended constitution...
with a hereditary king as the most ideal form of government for the entire world.
Books
- The Cane Toad Republic (Wakefield Press, 1999; ISBN 1-86254-496-4)
- The Twilight of the Elites (Freedom Publishing, 2003; ISBN 0-9578682-5-1)
- Malice in Media Land (Freedom Publishing, 2005; ISBN 0-9578682-8-6)
Also known as Malice in Medialand - Her Majesty at 80; Impeccable Service in an Indispensable Office (Australians for Constitutional Monarchy,2006; ISBN 1-876387-08-4)
External links
- www.davidflint.com.au David Flint's official website.
- Australians for Constitutional Monarchy
- On Line Opinion Professor Flint is a frequent contributor to On Line Opinio and http://www.crikey.com.au and the online political commentary, Crikey.