the declaration sought and referred the matter for consideration by the Full Court. The matter was not heard until 4 October 1995, and the order was handed down on 7 February 1996, one month prior to the 1996 election while the reasons for judgement were not handed down until 20 February 1996. Arguments Langer represented himself, and argued that: -(1) the wording of section 240 did not require consecutive numbers without repeats; -(2) the Langer vote was a valid method of voting; -(3) this impacted on free and fair elections in that it was an attempt to prevent discussion of a method of casting a valid vote; -(4) the AEC was intimidating and misleading people about how they could vote. The Commonwealth was represented by the Solicitor-General, Gavan Griffith , and argued that s 240 required full preferential voting and that s 270 was a savings provision that was intended to apply to unintentional errors. S329A was necessary to protect the integrity of compulsory preferential voting. Judgement All of the Court held that a Langer vote was a valid vote under the then electoral laws. The majority, Brennan CJ, Toohey, Gaudron, McHugh and Gummow JJ, upheld the validity of s329A. Brennan CJ "What the Constitution requires is that the law prescribe a method of voting which leaves the voter free to make a choice, not that the law leave the voter free to choose the method of voting by which a voter's choice is to be made. A method which requires full preferential voting satisfies the constitutional requirement." Similarly Toohey and Gaudron JJ held that s 328A assisted in the maintenance of a system of full preferential voting and was confined to conduct that was intended to encourage non-compliance with s 240 and was not concerned with conduct that was intended only to inform. Each of McHugh J, and Gummow J, held that the purpose of s 329A was to prevent the full preference system of voting from being undermined. Dawson J dissented on the basis that the constitutional power of the Parliament to make laws about elections for the House of Representatives arose from sections 31 and 51(xxxvi) of the Constitution, which meant the law needed to be for the purpose of electing members of parliament, who must be "directly chosen by the people. The purpose of s 329A was not incidental to the election of representatives but rather