Australian Medical Professionals, National Security and Administrative Offshore Punishment of Asylum-Seekers: Regulatory Update Including the Medevac Legislation.

This article updates how Australia's national security concerns have intersected with the regulation of Australian medical practitioners in the area of mandatory, indefinite, administrative offshore detention of asylum-seekers. It outlines relevant recent decisions of the High Court, including dissenting opinions that such detention represents unconstitutional extra-judicial punishment with a primary deterrence aim. It evaluates recent amendments to the Australian Border Force Act 2015 (Cth) as well as exploring recent relevant legislation and administrative, political and judicial decisions made in both Papua New Guinea and the Republic of Nauru.

Citizens' Juries, Liquid Democracy and Legislative Reform of Australian Compulsory Insurance Schemes for Injury Compensation after Motor Vehicle Accidents.

In 2017/2018 the Australian Capital Territory held its first citizens' jury to deliberate changes to the Territory's Compulsory Third Party (CTP) insurance scheme, for injury compensation after motor vehicle accidents. Such citizens' juries were designed to aid the transition to next-generation parliamentary processes (such as liquid democracy - citizen direct electronic voting on laws or individual transfer of their vote to respected politicians) by enabling a variety of key stakeholders and interests to be actively represented in the process of statutory development. In effect such a process is a democratic alternative to the current model of corporate lobbyists covertly influencing the legislative process.

Mercury Pollution from Coal-Fired Power Plants: A Critical Analysis of the Australian Regulatory Response to Public Health Risks.

This article explores the benefits likely to arise from Australia's ratification of the Minamata Convention on Mercury with regard to reducing public health risks from mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants. The current legislative frameworks regulating mercury pollution are critiqued, an exploration of the international approaches is undertaken, and recommendations are made aiming to produce a stronger, more stringent and long-term mercury protection policy for Australian communities.

Legal Strategies to Cure the Plastic Planet: Corporate Marriage and Public Health Regulation of Single-Use Non-Biodegradeable Plastics.

The 2018 export ban of recyclables to China provides an additional important reason for Australia in particular to act internationally and domestically to reduce its plastic waste. The problems Australia faces from single-use non-biodegradable plastics are replicated in every nation on Earth. Focusing on the Australian context, this article examines regulatory approaches to the problem of plastic production, consumption and disposal and its negative impact on public and ecosystem health.