International Videocast: DU “ECT Study” Team Tele-Presents to Queensland, Australia, Environmental Court Judges

DU Law Professor George (Rock) Pring and research partner Catherine (Kitty) Pring presented a keynote address – via DU’s state-of-the-art video communications system – to the Judges of the Planning and Environment Court (PEC) in Australia’s State of Queensland, on Monday, Aug. 10, at 5:00 pm (9:00 am Tuesday for the Judges, who were 16 hours ahead). There was spirited discussion in both trans-Pacific directions, since each group could see the other in realtime on giant flatscreen tvs.

The Prings outlined the findings of the University of Denver Environmental Courts and Tribunals (ECT) Study – the first global comparative study of these fast-spreading judicial and administrative bodies specializing in resolving disputes involving environment, land use, sustainable development, and related issues. There are now over 250 ECTs in at least 37 different countries.

The invitation to keynote the PEC conference was a particular honor, since that court is a longstanding model ECT with very experienced environmental judges. (For an overview of the PEC's activities in 2007-2008, please see "District Court of Queensland Annual Report 2007-2008," page 29-30.)

PEC Judge Michael Rackemann served as the "host" of the conference session in which the Prings appeared. Judge Rackemann gave an excellent, well-attended presentation earlier this year (to see the video, please click here) to our students and faculty on the Environmental Courts of Queensland during his visit to DU. The presentation was sponsored by five student groups: the Natural Resources and Environmental Law Society, Land Use Law Society, Construction and Real Estate Law Society, Native American Law Students Association, and International Law Society. He was visiting DU as a consequence of an earlier interview the Prings had conducted with him in Australia for the ECT Study.

A unique aspect of the ECT Study is that it is being done by a multidisciplinary husband-wife team. Each brings complementary expertise to the project. Professor Pring is a noted scholar, teacher, and consultant in environmental, international, and constitutional law and a former environmental litigation attorney. Mrs. Pring is an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) expert, professional mediator and facilitator, systems analyst, and former government health and human services administrator.

According to the Prings, "The goal of the study is to produce a practical, capacity-building 'tool kit' – of models, options, issues, and best practices – to guide governments and others in establishing or reforming ECTs. The study finds 12 basic 'design decisions' are involved in creating an effective ECT." The study will be published by The Access Initiative of the World Resources Institute thinktank (TAI-WRI) in Washington, DC, in December, in free print and on-line versions.

The Prings have researched, observed, and interviewed over 150 ECT judges, prosecutors, attorneys, government officials, academics, and advocacy groups at 32 ECTs in 22 countries to provide that knowledge-base to others desiring to create or reform ECTs to improve citizen access to environmental justice. For more, see the ECT Study website.

To view a video interview (conducted in mid-April) about the study with the Prings, please click here.