37th LAWASIA Conference

LAWASIA and the Malaysian Bar have jointly organised the 37th LAWASIA Conference which is their annual flagship event. The Conference allows all members from the legal profession to learn and discuss the regional developments in law, such as issues on legal education, judicial practice, and cross-border dispute resolution. This year, the Conference is held over three days (13th to 15th October 2024) in Hilton Kuala Lumpur.

Jia Yaw moderated the panel on Transboundary Environmental Harm which featured a diverse panel of speakers from different backgrounds:

• Vinodsagaran Gunasakaren (Partner, Law Chambers of Vin Sa & Ian)

• Hitomi Mitani (Lecturer, Kumamoto University)

• Lily Morton (Lawyer, Gilbert + Tobin)

• Briony Eales (Consultant Team Leader of the Judicial Capacity Building Program on Environmental and Climate Change Law by the Asian Development Bank)

• Md Imam Hossain (Head of Chamber of Investment & Development, Consultancy/Litigation/Arbitration)

The panel explored different perspectives ranging from domestic legislation governing transboundary issues to international dispute resolution mechanisms. The discussion also included specific case studies to illustrate the complexities and potential precedents in transboundary liability, as well as analyse the roles and responsibilities of different stakeholders in preventing and addressing transboundary environmental harm.