About Us

Origins

The Climate Justice Network (CJN) was launched in 2017 by Peter Lawrence and Jan Linehan to explore issues of ethics, justice and law in responses to climate change.  It aims to bring to together researchers from across disciplines to share their research, to inform climate policy development with justice and equity perspectives, and to promote engagement with local communities, business, younger people and students.

The first CJN project was the Imagining a Different Future conference and community events in 2018.  This was followed by a focus from 2019 onwards on how best to ensure the interests of future generations and younger people are taken in account in climate change planning and governance.  This included a youth workshop and community forum (in 2019) and an experts’ workshop (2019), followed by a public forum on Giving Future generations a Voice (in 2021). The experts’ workshop fed into the collection ‘Giving future generations of voice: normative frameworks, institutions and practice’, edited by Peter and Jan and launched at a public forum in October 2021.

In June 2022 Jan Linehan sadly passed away and Peter Lawrence decided to step back from his role as co-convener role while continuing to work on the advisory committee of the CJN.  Peter was delighted to hand over the running of the CJN to a new team of co-convenors:  Dr Ruth Adler, Dr Manon Simon and Jennifer Boocock, under the umbrella of the Student Environment and Animal Law Society (SEALS).

Why Tasmania

Tasmania is the ideal location for this initiative, with its long history of conservation expertise and environmentalism, the largest concentration of climate scientists and Antarctic researchers in the Southern Hemisphere, and a particularly engaged local community.  The University of Tasmania has a broad range of researchers and thinkers in the climate change field and is committed to engagement with local communities, business and government in understanding the challenge of climate change.  A Southern Hemispheric connection with a focus on local and regional issues, as well as global concerns, could make a significant contribution to public discourse and policy debates about climate change.

Nearly one third of Tasmania is World Heritage Area protected under a global convention that explicitly embodies notions of intergenerational justice.  The Cape Grim weather station plays a key part in monitoring climate change and made the first recording of 400ppm in 2016, confirming the urgency of the climate challenge.

Our Network Co-Convenors

Dr Ruth Adler is a former senior career officer of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and served as Australian Ambassador to Ireland (2013-2016) and Australian High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam (2006-2009).  Ruth holds a PhD in Latin American politics and history from La Trobe University (1993).  Ruth is currently undertaking a PhD in the Faculty of Law at the University of Tasmania.  The working title of her thesis is ‘The Green Climate Fund:  A Case Study in the Legitimacy of Global Climate Finance Governance’.

Jen Boocock is a Registered Nurse with a Master of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and a Juris Doctor of law. Jen has 20 years professional experience in clinical care and public health governance. Jen is currently researching a PhD in public health law and climate change adaptation. She commenced her PhD in 2019 and is researching the role of public ‎health law in promoting adaptation ‎to the impacts of climate change on human health. 

Dr Manon Simon is a post-doctoral research fellow on the ARC Discovery Project, ‘Governing Solar Radiation Management Research, Development and Deployment’. Manon holds a Bachelor’s in Public and International Law from the University of Poitiers (France) and a LL.M. in Environmental and Natural Resources Law from the University of Oregon (USA).  In 2022, Manon completed her PhD in the Faculty of Law at the University of Tasmania.  Her thesis, ‘Governing Cloud Seeding in Australia and the United States: Lessons for Regional Solar Regional Solar Radiation Management’, examined the extent to which existing cloud seeding laws can inform the development of legal arrangements to govern regional solar radiation management techniques. 

Our Founding Co-Convenors

Dr Peter Lawrence researches in the field of climate change, international law and justice — particularly intergenerational justice — and has published extensively in this field.  Peter is also a baritone whose climate change activist songs can be heard on YouTube.

Ms Jan Linehan (1957-2022) was an international lawyer and former international negotiator, who researched in international law, human rights, and climate change.  She was particularly interested in gender, governance, law reform, community engagement, and the role of the arts as an activist practice.

About SEALS

The Student Environment and Animal Law Society (SEALS) is a body of students based at the University of Tasmania. The Society is dedicated to using law to protect the environment and animals. It uses its collective voice to engage in public issues and makes submissions on policy and legislative matters where necessary. The Society also engages in legal skills development and training for its members, and organises public lectures and discussion panels on pressing environmental issues. Find SEALS on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/utas.seals.