ProfessorBenjamin J. Richardson

I'm a global scholar specialising in environmental law, property law, corporate social responsibility and legal issues concerning Indigenous peoples. My diverse scholarly interests also  encompass miscellaneous other academic fields, including environmental history, aesthetics and film studies.

After completing my undergraduate and doctoral studies in Australia, I dedicated nearly 20 years to working internationally. Before my appointment to the University of Tasmania, I was with the University of British Columbia, where I held the Senior Canada Research Chair in Environmental Law and Sustainability. Earlier, my peripatetic career included positions at the University of Manchester, the University of Auckland, and Toronto's York University, I remain active in Canadian academia through ongoing research collaborations and teaching responsibilities.

Some highlights of my scholarship include the books: The Art of Environmental Law: Governing with Aesthetics (Bloomsbury / Hart, 2019), Time and Environmental Law: Telling Nature's Time (Cambridge University Press, 2017), and Socially Responsible Investment Law (Oxford University Press, 2008). My current major research endeavour focuses on conservation covenants. My research has benefited from substantial funding, including from the Australian Research Council, the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada, and the New Zealand Law Foundation.

Berond my academic pursuits, I have had stints working for the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service in Sydney, and the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) in Kathmandu and Nairobi. I continue to volunteer for a various community and professional organisations, including the Tasmanian Independent Science Council. Furthermore,  I once owned and managed a private nature sanctuary in Tasmania called Blue Mountain View, where I established a conservation covenant to ensure its enduring protection.

QUALIFICATIONS

Ph.D (Law; Environmental Science), Australian National University, 1996
LLB, BA (Politics), 1st Class Hons, Macquarie University, 1991

ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS

2022 - ongoing: Adjunct Professor, Osgoode Professional Development, York University, Canada
2022-23: Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Law, Queen's University, Canada
2017: Global Law Visiting Chair, Faculty of Law, Tilburg University, Netherlands
2017: Visiting Professor, Dickson Poon Law School, KIng's College London, UK
2015 - ongoing: Adjunct Professor, School of Law, Macquarie University
2015 - ongoing: Professor of Environmental Law, Faculty of Law, University of Tasmania
2012: Distinguished Visiting Researcher, Faculty of Law, University of Technology Sydney
2011-14: Senior Canada Research Chair in Environmental Law and Sustainability, University of British Columbia, Canada
2003-10: Professor, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, Canada
2001-02: Visiting Professor, Socrates Program (European Commission): universities of Copenhagen, Iceland, Milan and Stockholm
1999-2002: Lecturer; Senior Lecturer, School of Law, University of Manchester, UK
1996-99: Lecturer; School of Law University of Auckland, New Zealand

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS / MEMBERSHIPS

Royal Society of Tasmania (2023 - ongoing)
Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand Environmental History Network (2023 - ongoing)

Australian and New Zealand Law & History Society (2023 - ongoing)
Tasmanian Independent Science Council (2020 - ongoing)
UniSuper Consultative Committee (2020-24)
Australian Research Council, Excellence in Research (ERA): Humanities and Creative Arts Committee (2018)
Australian Panel of Experts on Environmental Law (2014-17)
Tasmanian Environmental Defenders Office, Management Committee (2014-16)
Responsible Investing Initiative, Canada (2011 -15)
Advisory Board, Coalition of Universities for Responsible Investing (2011-14)
UN Principles of Responsible Investment Academic Network (2010-15)
Advisory Board and Co-chair of SRI Research Cluster, Canadian Business Ethics Research Network (2010-13)
Elected Member, Governing Board, IUCN Academy of Environmental Law (2010-12)
Co-chair, Research Committee, IUCN Academy of Environmental Law (2007-09)
Social Audit Advisory Committee, Alterna Savings Credit Union (2006-08)
New Zealand Centre for Environmental Law (1998-99)
World Commission on Environmental Law, IUCN (1996 - ongoing)
National Environmental Law Association of Australia (1995 - ongoing)