Environmental Jurisprudence Seminar

Introducing our very first Environmental Jurisprudence Seminar!

Come join us for an engaging seminar on environmental jurisprudence - where legal philosophy meets the conservation of our environment

Friday, 15 May 2026
6pm - 8pm
UniSC Sippy Downs Campus
Room TBC

We can’t wait to see you there!

Ticket prices:
Member: $5
Non-member: $10
Subject to Rubric surcharges

Meet Our Speakers

Jaclyn Poulton

Dr Alessandro Pelizzon

Dr Nia Emmanouil

Jaclyn Poulton is a Special Counsel in the Planning and Environment team at McInnes Wilson Lawyers.

Jaclyn completed her undergraduate law degree, undergraduate Applied Science degree (majoring in Environmental Science) and Master of Laws (majoring in Environmental Resources Law) at the Queensland University of Technology.

Jaclyn was an Associate to His Honour Judge Rackemann, who was, at the time, the lead judge of the Queensland Planning and Environment Court.

She was also a solicitor assisting the Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry for the land‑use term of reference. The Commission was established following the devastating 2010–2011 flooding in south‑east Queensland.

Jaclyn has been a planning and environmental specialist lawyer in the private sector for over 15 years. In recent years, she has focused her practice on advising local governments, State government departments, and private clients on compliance and regulatory matters, particularly in relation to the Planning Act 2016 (Qld) and the Environmental Protection Act 1994 (Qld). On behalf of local governments, Jaclyn regularly prosecutes defendants in the Magistrates Court for planning‑related offences.

Some recent matters Jaclyn has been involved in include clearing of native koala vegetation on public land, unlawful earthworks resulting in off‑site flooding impacts, unlawful dumping of tyres in a waterway, unlawful storage of truck tyres and batteries and noise complaints relating to a wind farm.

Around 18 months ago, Jaclyn and her husband moved from Brisbane to Tewantin to provide their two children with a childhood similar to the one they enjoyed.

Dr Alessandro Pelizzon completed his LLB/LLM at the University of Turin in Italy, specializing in comparative law and legal anthropology with a field research project conducted in the Andes. His Doctoral research, conducted at the University of Wollongong in Australia, focused on native title and legal pluralism in the Illawarra region. Alessandro has been exploring the emerging discourse on rights of nature, Wild Law and Earth Jurisprudence since its inception, with a particular focus on the intersection between this emerging discourse and different legal ontologies. His most recent book, titled Ecological Jurisprudence: The Law of Nature and the Nature of Law was published open access by Springer in 2025.

Alessandro is an Associate Professor and Discipline Lead of Law in the School of Law and Society at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Australia, as well as a co-founder and an Executive Committee Member of the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature and an expert member of the UN Harmony with Nature Programme.

Alessandro’s main areas of research are legal anthropology, legal theory, comparative law, ecological jurisprudence, constitutional law, sovereignty, and Indigenous rights.

Nia was admitted to the Queensland Bar in 2024 and works at the Queensland Law Reform Commission as a Principal Legal Officer - Barrister. She lives in Meanjin (Brisbane) on the traditional lands of the Yuggerra and Turrbal peoples and has dedicated her work to the protection of human rights, the rights of nature and the flourishing of communities and the natural environment. Nia has worked extensively alongside First Nations communities in Australia to promote truth-telling, social, climate and land justice, and the protection of and respect for human rights. Nia has a multidisciplinary professional background that spans law and policy, education and research. Her research interests and publications include climate litigation in tort law, the social licence of extractive industries, First Nations and land justice issues in Australia, legal pluralism (First Nations–settler laws), rights of nature and decolonising research methods. Nia holds a PhD in Indigenous metaphysics, Juris Doctor, Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice, Graduate Diploma of Education (Secondary) and Bachelor of Social Sciences (Environment).