On November 9th, the Law School hosted a Pluricourts and University of Hawaiʻi Law Review Symposium on “The Role of International Courts in Protecting Environmental Commons.”
Denise Antolini; David Forman ’93; Justice Antonio Herman Benjamin, Superior Court of Justice of Brazil (by video); and UH Law Review Editors-in-Chief Matthew Kollinger ’19 and Jacob Kamstra ’19 gave the welcoming remarks followed by the keynote speakers: Hawaiʻi Supreme Court Justice Michael Wilson; ELP Visiting Scholar Christina Voigt, University of Oslo; Professor Daniel Bodansky, Arizona State University; and Professor Marie-Claire Cordonier Segger, University of Cambridge.
Matthew and Jacob reported: “We are thrilled to have collaborated with Professor Voigt and the Environmental Law Program to put on such a successful Symposium. There were terrific keynote addresses from Professor Voigt, Professor Daniel Bodansky, and Justice Wilson.
Professor Bodansky, a leading scholar in environmental and international law, analyzed the international courts’ role in protecting the environmental commons and in a passionate presentation, Justice Wilson stressed the importance of acting to protect the environmental commons. The engaging and exciting afternoon panel discussions ranged from issues of plastic in the oceans to coal consumption and the many difficulties that come with significant temperature rise.
These topics are of such importance today, particularly here in Hawaiʻi, and for us to help bring this event to life was such a pleasure. Bringing international scholars together, with students, members of our community, and local practitioners made for a very special day.
We are extremely grateful to our sponsors for their generosity, and we thank everyone involved for their hard work. We look forward to publishing some of the esteemed scholars’ work in the UH Law Review’s Vol. 41, Symposium Issue, in Spring 2019.”
The Climate Change Specialist Group of the IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law and the Environmental Law Program co-sponsored the event.
On November 10th, ELP faculty and students and members of the UH Law Review organized a Roundtable Discussion on “The Role of International Courts in Protecting the Global Commons,” featuring the Symposium’s distinguished guest speakers. Student participants included Jake Kamstra ’19, Ryan McDermott ’19, Kevin Morris ’19, Miranda Steed ’19, Uʻilani Tanigawa Lum ’19, Andres Tobar ’19, Tiana Winstead ’19, Emily DeVille ’20, Rachel Ray ’20, Kekoa Andrade ’21, Leo Clifton ’21, and Lorenzo Lima ’21.