Laws are the formal rules that regulate our behaviour. The law in Queensland is made by or under the authority of our Parliament or the Parliament of the Commonwealth (statute law) and by the courts (common law).

Queensland’s principal law-making body is the Parliament of Queensland. The Parliament comprises the Queen (whose representative in Queensland is the Governor) and the Legislative Assembly which consists of our elected Members of the Parliament.

Unlike other Australian States, Queensland has a unicameral (or single chamber) Parliament. Other States have both a Lower House and an Upper House. Queensland’s Upper House, called the Legislative Council, and was abolished in 1922.

The Members of the Legislative Assembly propose laws (in the form of a Bill for an Act) for consideration by the Parliament. If agreed to, those Bills become Acts and form part of Queensland’s law. The Parliament also delegates aspects of its law-making function to other entities, particularly the Governor in Council. Laws made under this delegated power are called statutory instruments. The form of statutory instrument most widely recognised is the regulation, but there are many other forms of statutory instruments.

More information on this topic and links to current legislation can be found online at https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/Leg_Info/flp.htm