Citizen’s Inquiry into the 2019/2020 Australian Bushfires:
Did systemic failure by Australian governments, to Care for Country, contribute to “ecocide”?
OPENING SESSIONS – ALL ONLINE – MON, TUES, WED & FRIDAY
SESSION TIMES
- Monday 21 to Wednesday 23 June – 4pm to 6.30pm AEST (Brisbane, Australia)
- Friday 25 June – 1pm – 2pm AEST (Brisbane, Australia)
REGISTER FOR YOUR TICKET, TO JOIN US ONLINE:
for your free ticket, to observe the Tribunal discussions online
Would you like to share your stories about the 2019/2020 bushfires?
to express interest in being part of the public hearings being held during June-August online
SPEAKERS AND PRESENTERS
- People from affected areas in East Gippsland, Mallacoota, Bega Valley/Bateman’s Bay,
and the Blue Mountains - Jojo Mehta, Stop Ecocide International
- Barry Hunter, Aboriginal Carbon Foundation & Djabugay person
- Professor Will Steffen, Climate Council
- Professor Brendan Mackey, Griffith Climate Beacon
- Dr Virginia Marshall, First Nations lawyer and author
- Revel Pointon, Environmental Defenders Office
- Benedict Coyne, Barrister and Human Rights Lawyer
PROGRAM SUMMARY
Monday 21st June – Framing the Inquiry (4-6.30pm AEST)
- Role of the Peoples’ Tribunal
- First Laws and Obligations to Care for Country
- What responsibilities do Australian governments have to Care for Country and protect human rights?
- What are Ecocide laws and Earth laws?
Tuesday 22nd June – Bushfire Impacts – What happened? (4-6.30pm AEST)
- Impacts on human and non-human communities – Blue Mountains, East Gippsland, Batemans Bay, other communities
Wednesday 23rd June – Scientific and legal frameworks for responding to the bushfires – how we can learn from systemic failures? (4-6.30pm AEST)
- The science of bushfires – climate change impacts, local land, water and fire management – Caring for Country
- A critique of legal frameworks in Australia
Friday 25th June – Summary of initial findings + next steps – the Tribunal Panel (1-2pm AEST)
TRIBUNAL PANEL MEMBERS
Those bearing witness to these public hearings are the following lawyers and Indigenous leaders:
- Mary Graham, Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Queensland and Kombumerri person
- Ross Williams, Future Dreaming Australia and Bindal/Juru person
- Dr Michelle Maloney, Australian Earth Laws Alliance
- Gwynn Maccarrick, University of Tasmania
- Gill Boehringer, Lawyer and human rights advocate
DETAILED PROGRAM
| Monday 21st June | Framing the Inquiry | Speakers |
| 4.00pm | Welcome, opening, role of the Peoples’ Tribunal | Dr Michelle Maloney, Tribunal Panel |
| 4.15pm | Acknowledgement of Country | Ross Williams & Michelle Maloney, Tribunal Panel |
| 4.20pm | Framing our Citizens’ Inquiry: Relationist Ethos – the land is the source of the law; the role of ‘law of obligation’ in caring for country | Mary Graham, Tribunal panel |
| 4.35pm
|
Framing our Citizens Inquiry: Obligations to Care for Country
|
Barry Hunter, Indigenous Fire Manager & Aboriginal Carbon Foundation & Djabugay person
|
| 5.05pm
|
Framing our Citizens’ Inquiry: What responsibilities do Australian governments have to Care for Country?
|
Revel Pointon, Lawyer, Environmental Defenders Office
|
| 5.35pm | Framing our Citizens’ Inquiry: What responsibilities do Australian governments have to protect human rights | Benedict Coyne, Barrister and Human Rights Lawyer
|
| 6.00pm
|
What is ecocide?
|
Jojo Mehta, Stop Ecocide International
|
| 6.20pm-6.30pm | Summary/close | Michelle Maloney and Gwynn McCarrick |
| Tuesday 22nd June | What happened – stories and perspectives from affected communities |
Speakers |
| 4.00pm | Welcome, opening, role of the Peoples’ Tribunal | Michelle Maloney |
| 4.10pm | Impacts on human and non-human communities – Stories from East Gippsland |
John Hermans and others from East Gippsland |
| 5.00pm | Impacts on human and non-human communities – Bateman’s Bay, Bega and connected communities | Jo Dodds, Bega Valley Councillor + others from Batemans Bay and Bega |
| 5.40pm
6.00-6.30pm |
Impacts on human and non-human communities – Stories from the Blue MountainsCLOSE |
Haydn Washington + other speakers to be confirmed
|
| Wednesday 23rd June | Scientific and legal frameworks for responding to the bushfires | Speakers |
| 4.00pm | Welcome, opening, role of the Peoples’ Tribunal | Michelle Maloney |
| 4.15pm
|
SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDINGS
Climate Change, Earth Systems Science & Bushfires – global perspectives |
Professor Will Steffen, Climate Council
|
| 4.50pm | Climate change and bushfires in Australia – land, water, biodiversity | Professor Brendan Mackay, Griffith Climate Beacon |
| 5.30pm | SHORT BREAK | |
| 5.40pm
|
CRITIQUE OF CURRENT LEGAL SYSTEM
Failure of legal frameworks in Australia relating to climate change |
Dr Nicole Rogers, Southern Cross University |
| 6.10pm
|
Failure of legal frameworks in Australian law, regarding Indigenous rights and leadership in Caring for Country | Dr Virginia Marshall, Indigenous lawyer and author
|
| 6.20-6.30pm | Final comments & Close | Michelle Maloney and Mary Graham |
|
Friday 25 June 1pm-2pm |
INITIAL FINDINGS AND NEXT STEPS – TRIBUNAL PANEL
|
For more information – tribunal@earthlaws.org.au
FOR YOUR FREE TICKET, to observe the Tribunal discussions online
Would you like to share your stories about the 2019/2020 bushfires?
to express interest in being part of the public hearings being held during June-August online