Seventy-one constitutional and public law professors have signed an open letter stating that the Indigenous Voice to Parliament “is not constitutionally risky.”

The letter aims to address the “misunderstandings and misconceptions” for Australians who are unsure about the upcoming referendum on 14 October.

In the letter, the staff aren’t endorsing either side of the referendum, but rather aiming to inform voters.

“Not as advocacy for a particular position, but to clarify some of the issues that are causing confusion about the proposed constitutional change,” it says. “To help Australians sift through what they are reading and hearing, and to assist them to make an informed choice at the upcoming referendum.”

In response to Opposition Leader Peter Dutton suggesting that the Voice to Parliament “will permanently divide us by race,” the professors state it is wrong to frame the Voice as introducing a racial divide into the constitution, as one has always been there.

La Trobe University learning and teaching associate dean Dr Madelaine Chiam co-wrote the letter after seeing the discourse surrounding the Voice to Parliament.

“And those misunderstandings and misconceptions are contributing to incorrect and sometimes erroneous views about the Voice to Parliament and how it would work and the sorts of powers that it would have,” she told the ABC.

“Our hope is the people who either aren’t decided or who are confused about the contradictory information will read our letter, take a step back and just have a think about where they’re getting their information.”

Dr Chiam has urged voters to undergo their own research or to contact a fellow signee of the letter to try and find out further information.

Photo: 111027-123058 by Jochen Bullerjahn available HERE and used under a Creative Commons License. This image has not been modified.