David Flint

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Professor David Flint, AM, is an Australian legal academic, known for his leadership of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy, and for his controversial tenure as head of the Australian Broadcasting Authority.

Contents 1 Life and activities 2 Positions 3 Awards and honours 4 External links 5 Footnotes

[edit] Life and activities

Flint studied law, economics and international relations at the Universities of London, Paris and Sydney. After a career in the law and in the academy, he was appointed to the Australian Broadcasting Authority in 1998. He resigned in 2004, shortly before the end of his term, after a media frenzy over flattering letters^[1] he had sent to broadcaster Alan Jones in the leadup to Flint's heading the ABA's cash for comment enquiry into commercial broadcasting. At the opening of the inquiry, Flint had voluntarily declared that he knew and had met Jones, who had launched a book in which Flint had written a chapter. When the letters were revealed years later on the ABC, Flint, who is known to be a prolific letter writer, said he had forgotten it. At the time he was being attacked in the media by the well-known broadcaster John Laws, who stated he had heard Jones say that he had "instructed" the Prime Minister to reappoint Flint in 2001. Laws' activities had triggered the original ABA inquiry. He mistakenly thought Flint was behind more recent ABA action against him. In fact, Flint had dissented from the decision to proceed against Laws on the grounds that it was both unjustified and unlawful. This is set out in Flint's 2005 book, Malice in Media Land.

Flint is also one of Australia's most prominent constitutional monarchists, 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", the left-wing intelligentsia. 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 as what it argues is an ideal form of government in the world.

Flint is part Indonesian on his mother's side. He lives with his male partner of more than 30 years at Bondi Beach, Sydney.^[2]

[edit] Positions

Flint was head of the Australian Press Council from 1987 until 1997, and was Dean of Law at the University of Technology, Sydney, also 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 a longstanding board member and former editor of the Australian Branch of the International Law Association.

[edit] Awards and honours

Flint was declared the World Outstanding Legal Scholar by the World Jurists Association, Barcelona, in October 1991.

[edit] External links

• Australians for Constitutional Monarchy Professor Flint is the current National Convenor of this Australian monarchist organisation.
• On Line Opinion Professor Flint is a frequent contributor to On Line Opinion.
• Good Weekend magazine, 3 July, 2004. A detailed article on David Flint by Jane Cadzow.
• www.davidflint.com.au David Flint's official website.

[edit] Footnotes