Our History

Pope John XXIII’s 1959 announcement to hold an Ecumenical Council and revise Canon Law was the inspiration for envisioning a society to receive the teaching of the Council and implement the revised Code of Canon Law.

The Canon Law Society of Australia was founded in the Archdiocese of Brisbane on 20 June 1967, when the forty six priests, both diocesan and religious, voted unanimously that “the Canon Law Society of Australia be formed”.

The diocesan priests represented half the dioceses in Australia and one religious priest was from New Zealand. At the Eighth Annual General Meeting of the Society, held in Canberra on 16 May 1974, the Society’s name was changed to Canon Law Society of Australia and New Zealand.  

 The Society holds its Annual Conference to promote the professional development of, and foster fellowship among, the members of the Society in their service of the Church. The Society publishes the Proceedings of the Annual Conference.

The Society published a Newsletter (1976-2009) including articles, contributed predominantly by the Society’s members. In 2009 the Executive Committee resolved to discontinue the Newsletter and to publish an academic journal twice yearly. The Canonist was first published in 2010.

The membership of the Society embraces lay persons, clerics and religious. Presently in excess of 200, the members come from diverse nations and cultures especially across Oceania and South East Asia.

The Society conducts an Institute of Tribunal Practice to prepare people to participate in the ministry of the Church relating to the processes of nullity and dissolution of marriage.

The Society maintains strong links with other Canon Law Societies, especially the Canon Law Society of America, the Canon Law Society of Great Britain & Ireland and the Canadian Canon Law Society.

The Society is incorporated as a company limited by guarantee under the Corporations Act of the Commonwealth of Australia and registered as a charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for profits Commission.

Executive Committee

Rev Ken Cafe ofm  (President)
Rev Tim Brennan msc
Most Rev Richard Laurenson
Ms Elizabeth Ong
Ms Sue Rivett

Secretary:
Mr Greg Isaac
Secretariat
CLSANZ
PO Box 1
LISMORE NSW 2480

Email: secretary@clsanz.catholic.org.au

Editorial Board

Dr Rodger Austin, JCD STL (Chair)
Rev Peter Blayney STL, Grad Dip RE, BA (Hons), JCL, MA (Hons)
Msgr Brendan Daly, B Theol PG Dip Theol JCD PhD
Sr Elizabeth Delany sgs, BSc, BEd, MA (Theology), MEd (Admin), JCD, PhD
Rev Justin Glyn SJ, BA, LLB, BTheol(Hons), MTS, MCL, JCL, PhD

All communications concerning articles and subscriptions should be addressed to:

The Editorial Board
CLSANZ
PO Box 1
LISMORE NSW 2480

Email: publications@clsanz.catholic.org.au

Would you like to become a member of CLSANZ?