[JURIST] Australian Prime Minister John Howard [official website] has said that he is willing to change controversial shoot-to-kill provisions [JURIST report] in proposed anti-terror legislation [PDF text]. Howard also said that the legislation need not be introduced next week, but said that new proposals should be passed by the end of the year. Howard's comments follow an announcement that he will send his top legal advisers to address concerns [JURIST report] by state governments about the constitutionality of the proposals. Queensland Premier Peter Beattie [official website] has said that he has contacted other states in order to arrange a discussion by lawyers on potential constitutional issues raised by the draft law. Australian Treasurer Peter Costello [official website] warned, however, that it will take a High Court ruling, not a consensus of opinion, to determine whether the legislation is unconstitutional. Australia's ABC News has more.