Australia will make its opening arguments against whaling in the Southern Ocean at the International Court of Justice on 26th June 2013.
The Australian government initiated legal action against Japan in 2010 to try and stop whaling in the Southern hemisphere.
Attorney-General, Mark Dreyfus, said in a statement:
“Australia’s views on whaling are well established – we strongly oppose all commercial whaling, including so-called ‘scientific’ whale hunting by Japan. More than 10,000 whales have been killed since 1988 as a result of Japan’s whaling programs in the Southern Ocean (JARPA and JARPA II).”
“We believe Japan’s so-called ‘scientific’ whaling is contrary to its international obligations and we want to see this practice brought to a halt once and for all.”
“Australia and Japan agree the International Court of Justice is the best place to resolve differences between friends. Both countries value our strong bilateral relationship and the friendship forged between our nations over many years.”
“We hope for a decision from the Court by the end of the year.”
Australia’s legal team will consist of; The Hon Mark Dreyfus QC MP – Australia’s Attorney-General, Mr Justin Gleeson SC – Australia’s Solicitor-General, Mr Henry Burmester QC, Professor James Crawford SC, Professor Philippe Sands QC, Professor Laurence Boisson de Chazournes and Mr Bill Campbell QC.
In This Story: Australia
Australia, officially known as the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. It is the largest country in Oceania and the world’s sixth-largest country by total area.
Japan is an island country in East Asia located in the northwest Pacific Ocean. Part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, Japan comprises an archipelago of 6,852 islands covering 377,975 square kilometers (145,937 sq mi); the country’s five main islands, from north to south, are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, and Okinawa. Tokyo is Japan’s capital and largest city.
Japan is divided into 47 administrative prefectures and eight traditional regions. The Greater Tokyo Area is the most populous metropolitan area in the world, with more than 37.4 million residents.
Japan is a great power and a member of numerous international organizations, including the United Nations (since 1956), the OECD, and the G7. Japan is a leader in the automotive and electronics industries.
Malta, officially known as the Republic of Malta and formerly Melita, is a Southern European island country consisting of an archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. Its capital is Valletta. The official and national language is Maltese, which is descended from Sicilian Arabic that developed during the Emirate of Sicily, while English serves as the second official language. Italian and Sicilian also previously served as official and cultural languages.
Malta has been inhabited since approximately 5900 BC. Its location in the centre of the Mediterranean has historically given it great strategic importance as a naval base.
Malta became a British colony in 1813, and the British Parliament passed the Malta Independence Act in 1964, giving Malta independence from the United Kingdom as the State of Malta, with Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state and queen. The country became a republic in 1974. It has been a member state of the Commonwealth of Nations and the United Nations since independence, and joined the European Union in 2004; it became part of the eurozone monetary union in 2008.
Catholicism is the state religion, but the Constitution of Malta guarantees freedom of conscience and religious worship.
The Southern Ocean, also known as the Antarctic Ocean or the Austral Ocean, comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, generally taken to be south of 60° S latitude and encircling Antarctica.
