The Climate Law and Governance Centre at King’s College London is delighted to welcome Justice Nicola Pain, judge of the Land and Environment Court of New South Wales, Australia, as its 2022 Visiting Professor in Climate Law.

Justice Pain will deliver the Centre’s Annual Public Lecture on restorative justice approaches to environmental and climate harms.

Abstract

Environmental harm encompasses harm to all aspects of ecology, loss of indigenous culture and heritage and harm to the natural and built environment enjoyed by humans. Punishment of environmental crime may not address the full extent of harm caused so that justice in its widest sense is not achieved. Informed by experience in Australia and New Zealand, the annual lecture will explore how restorative justice processes facilitate outcomes which respond to wider aspects of environmental harm in a criminal prosecution. Opportunities in the civil context to facilitate restorative justice in environmental matters will also be explored.

About the speaker

Justice Nicola Pain is the 2022 Visiting Professor in Climate Law at The Dickson Poon School of Law. She was appointed a judge of the Land and Environment Court of New South Wales, Australia, in 2002. Early in her career Justice Pain was director of the Environmental Defenders Office a public interest community legal centre based in NSW Australia which specialises in using environmental law to protect the environment. Justice Pain also worked in environmental law and policy in senior positions in NSW and Australian government departments. Justice Pain is an adjunct professor and chair of the Australian Centre for Climate and Environmental Law Advisory Board at the University of Sydney Law School. She has presented and published numerous papers for a wide range of audiences in Australia and overseas on environmental law and related topics.

This event (held in person only) will be introduced by Professor Dan Hunter, Executive Dean of The Dickson Poon School of Law, and moderated by Dr Leslie-Anne Duvic-Paoli & Dr Megan Bowman of the Climate Law and Governance Centre. It will be followed by a drinks reception.