<Li> the Judiciary is appointed by the sovereign's representatives, on the advice of the Commonwealth or State / Territory government; but the Legislature and the Executive should not try to influence its decisions . </Li> <P> Until the passage of the Australia Act 1986, and associated legislation in the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, some Australian cases could be referred to the British Judicial Committee of the Privy Council for final appeal . With this act, Australian law was made unequivocally sovereign, and the High Court of Australia was confirmed as the highest court of appeal . The theoretical possibility of the British Parliament enacting laws to override the Australian Constitution was also removed . </P> <P> The Legislature makes the laws, and supervises the activities of the other two arms with a view to changing the laws when appropriate . The Australian Parliament is bicameral, consisting of the Queen of Australia, a 76 - member Senate and a 150 - member House of Representatives . </P> <P> Twelve Senators from each state are elected for six - year terms, using proportional representation and the single transferable vote (known in Australia as "quota - preferential voting": see Australian electoral system), with half elected every three years . In addition to the state Senators, two senators are elected by voters from the Northern Territory (which for this purpose includes the Indian Ocean Territories, Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands), while another two senators are elected by the voters of the Australian Capital Territory (which for this purpose includes the Jervis Bay Territory). Senators from the territories are also elected using preferential voting, but their term of office is not fixed; it starts on the day of a general election for the House of Representatives and ends on the day before the next such election . </P>

Which branch of government makes laws in australia