A leading advocate of the Indigenous Voice to parliament has conceded the proposed body will likely be subject to High Court challenges, but warned against “hollowing out” its powers by removing references to executive government in draft constitutional changes.

Megan Davis, one of the architects of the Uluru Statement from the Heart and an author of the draft referendum question championed by Anthony Albanese, said the justiciability of the Voice (the likelihood of legal review) would be a straightforward part of Australia’s system of law.