In Conversation: Pacific climate justice in the International Court of Justice

Proud Pasifika (Samoan) barrister Alofipo So’o alo Fleur Ramsay of Blue Ocean Law played an integral role at the ICJ case, supporting Samoa’s submission to the case as external legal counsel. 

In this webinar, Alofipo So'oalo Fleur Ramsay will share her perspective on the submissions made to the International Court of Justice in this groundbreaking legal case. This is a very timely conversation in light of the ICJ just announcing that it will deliver its Advisory Opinion on the Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change on Wednesday 23 July 2025.

Alofipo So'oalo Fleur Ramsay works with Blue Ocean Law, an international law firm specialising human and Indigenous rights, self-determination, and environmental justice in the Pacific. Fleur is also on the Steering Committee of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty and a founder of the Pasifika International Lawyers Network.

Please join us at 12pm - 1pm on Friday, 8 August for this important conversation about the groundbreaking international climate litigation. You can register for the webinar here.

Legal Update: The Australian Climate Case: Pabai Pabai & Anor v Cth 

After months of waiting, the Federal Court has confirmed it will deliver its judgment for Uncle Pabai and Uncle Paul’s landmark climate case on Tuesday, 15 July 2025 at 2pm. Represented by Phi Finney McDonald and supported by Grata Fund, the Uncles argued that the federal government owes them a duty to protect and preserve Ailan Kastom and marine zones.  

Climate change fuelled by burning fossil fuels is an existential threat to the Torres Strait. The Federal Court heard evidence that communities on Boigu and Saibai islands could have less than 30 years left before their islands become uninhabitable. For Torres Strait people, losing their Country would sever thousands years of ancestral connection to culture and identity.

Torres Strait leaders have a proud history of shaping this nation. By taking the Federal Government to court over climate harm, Uncle Pabai and Uncle Paul are continuing a proud legacy of activism from a long line of Torres Strait leaders, including Uncle Eddie Koiki Mabo, and generations of leaders before him.

There are many potential outcomes for the case. Because Uncle Pabai and Uncle Paul’s case is a ‘test case’, or a case containing legal questions that have not been tested in a court before, a win on any aspect of this case will create a historically significant foundation for cases that come after. Several possible outcomes would have a significant positive impact on communities and the development of law. 

Please show your support by signing and sharing the Mura Kalmel Sipa pledge.

Legal Update: Powerful precedent in Saúl Luciano Lliuya v. RWE

A climate lawsuit brought by a Peruvian farmer against German energy giant RWE has set a powerful precedent that reaches far beyond the individual case. For the first time in history, a high court in Europe has ruled that major greenhouse gas emitters can be held liable under civil law for the specific consequences of the climate crisis. This represents a major breakthrough in the use of climate attribution science, with possible repercussions for how the polluter pays principle is applied in the future.

Although the court ultimately dismissed Saúl Luciano Lliuya’s claim on the basis there is not a sufficient risk of floodwater damage to his property to merit a compensation claim, its reasoning represents a significant breakthrough in climate litigation.