"Is law keeping pace with scientific innovation?" - POSTPONED for a later date

CPD (Continuing Professional Development)

Resource Person:
Dr Erika J Techera FAAL, Professor of Environmental Law, University of Western Australia

Dr Erika J Techera ,FAAL, is the former Director of the UWA Oceans Institute and prior to that she was the Dean of the UWA Law School.  She was previously  the Director of the Centre for International Environmental Law and Co-Director for the Centre for Climate Futures at Macquarie University; and has practised as a Barrister in Sydney and worked as a company director.

She is an international and comparative environmental lawyer with particular emphasis on marine environmental law and cultural heritage law relating to the oceans. Her research explores Indo-Pacific maritime issues: marine protected area governance, marine spatial planning and marine pollution, as well as international law for the conservation and management of wild species. Her most recent projects include transnational crime, technology and IUU fishing; rigs-to-reefs law and policy; and intangible marine heritage. She also teaches three postgraduate subjects: Oceans Governance, International Environmental Law and Global Heritage Governance.

Moreover, she is the author of Marine Environmental Governance: from international law to local practice (Routledge, 2012) and the International Law of Sharks: Obstacles, Options and Opportunities (with Professor Natalie Klein) (Brill, 2017). She is the co-editor of the Routledge Handbook of International Environmental Law (Routledge, 2013) and Sharks: Conservation, Management & Governance (Earthscan, 2014) as well as co-editor of the forthcoming Marine Extremes: Ocean Safety, Marine Health and the Blue Economy.

Course description:
Rapid advances in science and technology offer many opportunities, but also pose environmental risks. This is particularly the case in the ocean environment where expanding energy, food and transport needs are being pursued through blue economy agenda, just as science emerges of the poor conservation status of ocean areas and species.  Law can respond to the challenges but tends to develop slowly, and it is therefore timely to explore some scientific developments and whether the law is keeping pace with these innovations. Remote sensing technologies, for example, allow the tracking of illegal fishing vessels; offshore infrastructure can be decommissioned as artificial reefs; and wave and tidal renewable energy options are being developed. This presentation will explore these developments, legal issues and lessons to be learned for the future.

Experience Level:

All

Group:

Law Practitioners & Legal Officers