Done By Law

Watershed protesters take government to court: 9 November 2010

The political and legal furore over the Wonthaggi desalination plant keeps heating up: a new legal action has been launched by protesters regarding the Victoria Police’s agreement to share law enforcement data with the private company building the plant. Tonight we discuss the issues with Christopher Heislers, from protest group Watershed and Elizabeth McKinnon, from the Environment Defenders Office.

DBL: Victorian Climate Change Act Introduced: 14 September 2010

While the Federal Government’s Emissions Trading Scheme has been shelved for the time being, there has been recent legislative action on climate change at the state level. On 3 September 2010, the Victorian Parliament passed the Climate Change Act, which implements a number of the proposals outlined in the Victorian Government’s Climate Change White Paper from July 2010.  Joining us tonight to discuss the key features of the Act and provide some critical analysis is Nicola Rivers, Policy and Law Reform Director of the Environmental Defenders Office of Victoria.

DBL: 10 March 2009: Sea Shepherd Investigation

Tonight on Done by Law we take a dive into the complex laws and politics of international waters.

Last month, Australian Federal Police boarded  Sea Shepherd ship the Steve Irwin as it docked in Hobart with a warrant to seize footage and other material.  The AFP has stated that the warrant was executed ‘at the request of Japanese authorities’.  In the context of this seemingly anomalous investigation by Australian Federal Police, Professor Donald Rothwell, Professor of International Law at Australian National University, and John McMullan, Australian lawyer to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, will join us to discuss the laws that govern international waters and the activities that occur within them.

DBL: Desalination plant: 10 February 2009

The drought means the land is dry and Victorians are told water is short.  The Government is building a desalination plant on the Bass Coast which the politicians say is necessary and will provide an essential source of water. But views differ as to whether a desalination plant is the best solution, or even a good solution, to the “water crisis”.

Tonight we are joined by Andrea Bolch of community activist group Watershed and Elizabeth McKinnon of the Environment Defenders Office (lawyers for Watershed), who will outline some of the keys issues with the desalination plant, and how Watershed (with the help of the Environment Defenders Office) has challenged both the building and the legitimacy of desalination plant.