AFTINET | 11 July 2024

Australian legal experts call for swift removal of ISDS

11 July 2024: 62 Australian lawyers and legal scholars have issued an open letter urging the Australian government to swiftly implement its policy of excluding Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provisions from current and future trade and investment agreements.

The letter underscores current ISDS challenges, including multi-billion-dollar claims against Australia by figures such as Clive Palmer, undermining domestic laws protecting human rights and environmental standards, potentially impeding urgent climate action and the green energy transition.

The signatories call for immediate action to review and remove ISDS provisions, emphasising the need to safeguard public health, environmental values, and climate initiatives from future legal challenges.

AFTINET supports the letter’s signatories and joins them in calling for the government to act now.

Please find the letter here.