... So that You may be kept informed

Fed: Go to court, stop whaling: legal expert


21 Jan 2009 2:31 AM

An expert in international law says Australia would have a very strong case if it takes international legal action to try and stop Japanese whaling.

DON ROTHWELL .. a professor of international law at Canberra's Australian National University .. says the legal avenue is looking good .. as Australia has a very strong .. arguable case to take Tokyo and to the United Nations' court.

Professor ROTHWELL says there has to be a point in time at which any government has to say it's exhausted its diplomatic options.

Before the 2007 federal election .. Labor promised to take Japan to the International Court of Justice to stop whaling .. but that hasn't happened yet .. with the government saying it's trying diplomacy first.