The Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) of Australia, a community legal service that prides itself on “groundbreaking litigation and leading law reform advocacy,” has come under fire from Federal Court Justice Natalie Charlesworth. The future of government funding for EDO is now under review after the judge criticized the organization’s methods and behavior.
In a high-profile case earlier this year, EDO represented Tiwi Islanders in a legal challenge to stop an energy giant from developing a gas export pipeline. However, the plaintiffs lost the case, and Justice Charlesworth condemned the actions of EDO and some of its witnesses. EDO expert witness, marine geoscientist Mick O’Leary, was heavily criticized for conducting a cultural mapping exercise that Justice Charlesworth denounced as lacking integrity and potentially manipulated.
Another EDO anthropologist, Amanda Kearney, was accused of failing to disclose her prior involvement in a report. And a third EDO anthropologist, Gareth Lewis, was disapproved for his actions in a meeting where cultural heritage stories were discussed as a “weapon” and for showing a lack of independence as an expert witness.
It was revealed that both the Northern Territory government and the Coalition are reviewing their funding commitments to EDO in light of these findings. Both government entities are considering cuts to EDO’s funding due to concerns about their behavior and methods. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton affirmed that if the Coalition wins the next election, they will end federal funding for EDO.
In response to these developments, EDO Chief Executive David Morris expressed disappointment over the Coalition’s announcement and stated that the EDO had not been contacted by the NT government regarding funding review. He also emphasized the importance of the public-interest work and environmental policy analysis conducted by the organization, arguing that the community would be deprived of environmental justice without their services.