The European Court of Justice as a tool of European integration

‘European integration’ is the unification of European states into a continent with shared systems, institutions, and values. This article argues that there are four main ways in which the European Court of Justice (‘ECJ’ or ‘the Court’) facilitates integration. First, the ECJ has created a series of case law that unites the treaties of the European Union (‘EU’) into a single, ‘constitutionalised’ body of law that resembles a national constitution. Second, the human rights agenda of the ECJ aligns states to a single, set ideology the Court espouses. Third, the Court has enhanced EU power by giving the European Parliament power to be involved in ECJ litigation, and by articulating the principle that European law must be considered with respect to integration. Finally, the Court’s preliminary ruling mechanism provides that the EU has supremacy over all legal matters that involve EU principles, effectively curtailing opposition to the expansion of EU law. In these ways, the ECJ is a significant contributor to European integration

What have we learned about climate change and interstate conflict in the last decade?

A review of the extant literature reveals little consensus on the relationship between climate change and global conflict. A general model of the relationship between climate and conflict is discussed. It is argued that pathways from climate change to interstate conflict are difficult to identify due to multiple stressors resulting from climate change occurring simultaneously, with an array of possible interactions that are relevant in specific contexts. In particular, the literature on trans-state water scarcity and variability demonstrates tendencies towards both conflict and cooperation. Directions for future research are proposed to assist policymakers to anticipate international tensions caused by climate change and design targeted interventions to address the risks

Investigating the impact of soil moisture on the thermal tolerance of alpine Ranunculus species and hybrids in Kosciuszko National Park, Australia.

Escalating extreme temperature events significantly impact organisms, driving species selection and adaptation. To predict global species distributions in a warmer future, understanding differences in metabolic temperature tolerance and plasticity is crucial. Chlorophyll fluorescence can be used to measure critical temperature of photosynthetic heat tolerance (PHT) in plants. The upper (CTmax) and lower (CTmin) critical temperature, as well as the difference between these two limits, the thermal tolerance breadth (TTB), were measured for five Ranunculus species and four hybrid types, using a high-throughput chlorophyll fluorescence imaging method and apparatus. This study compares PHT between species and hybrids and analyses the correlation of PHT to soil moisture to gain insight into how local microclimatic factors and hybridisation might allow vulnerable species to leverage adaptive traits. Our results show very significant differences between the CTmax, CTmin and TTB of species, with hybrids often having intermediate values between their parent species. The correlation between soil moisture and CTmin was negative and significant, while the correlation with CTmax and TTB were both slightly positive, but not significant. Soil moisture marginally increasing thermal tolerance indicates that small pockets with higher soil moisture than the surrounding landscape (such as gullies and intermittent stream beds) may become increasingly important for the persistence of Ranunculus populations. This is concerning, given predictions of a drier climate in the future, especially for those species identified as having comparatively lower thermal tolerance. This study demonstrates how plant physiological measurements could aid in the identification of species that are more at risk of climate induced range shifts or local extinction and assist with setting conservation priorities

‘Pretty funny bloody barrister’: Gendered violence in Shame (1987)

Steve Jodrell’s Shame (1987) remains remarkably accurate in its depiction of gendered violence in rural/regional/remote (RRR) Australia. However, viewing the film as a normative statement reveals a complex relationship where the RRR becomes a constructed space giving credence to urban anxieties. Viewed through critical legal theory and a Foucauldian lens, the film depicts the RRR as a psychiatric space where the rule of law is deployed against a rule of unlaw, and legal technicians constitute and reconstitute the law from knowledge into legal discourse ready for reabsorption outside the RRR space. This approach renders the law as inert and constituted and overlooks the law’s own contribution to injustice, especially in issues of gendered violence, as highlighted in recent law reform and social justice developments. While the film’s allegorising of the RRR is disrupted in its ending, its final lines reveal an unshaken belief in law—another universalising technolog

Resisting change: Women and youth in a post-oil world: Analysing Saudi Arabia’s Vision2030 reforms

In this paper, I conduct a critical analysis of Saudi Arabia’s Vision2030 reforms. In 2016, the King of Saudi Arabia, Muhammed bin Salman Al Saud (MBS), introduced economic reforms to diversify the economy away from oil dependency. I analyse Saudi Arabia’s historic experience as a ‘rentier state’, and examine how the country plans to expand its economy beyond oil production. In doing so, I explore the effects of the Vision2030 reforms on two key groups: women and youth. I find women and youth have historically been excluded from Saudi Arabia’s economy, and while the Vision2030 reforms acknowledge the economic deficits faced by these groups, the reforms do little to address the major structural problems preventing women and youth from full economic participation

Effect of elevation and plant communities on the flight behaviour of Lepidoptera in Kosciuszko National Park, Australia

Lepidoptera play a critical role in ecosystem functioning and are especially vital to the plant-pollinator network in alpine regions. Both their functional traits and broader environmental filters strongly influence their performance in the environment. This study aims to address the lack of research on the functional traits of Australian alpine diurnal Lepidoptera by examining whether their flapping rate differs across elevations and/or plant communities. Field surveys were conducted over four sites in Kosciuszko National Park, comprising heathland and woodland communities at both low and high elevations. Videos of Lepidoptera in flight were recorded and analysed to obtain flapping rates. The results indicate that elevation and plant community interacted to affect flapping rates. Within heathland communities Lepidopterans found at higher elevations exhibited a greater flapping rate than those found at lower elevations. On the other hand, there was no effect of elevation within woodland communities. These results correspond with existing literature, which indicate that elevation alone does not affect flapping rates. We suggest that differences in flapping rates between low and high elevation heathland sites may be driven by variation in food sources within heathland communities at different elevations, with resultant feeding habits imposing constraints on flight behaviour

Indigenous diplomacy: A framework for rethinking Australia’s engagement with Asia

This article explores the potential of an Indigenous-led approach to Australia’s foreign policy and diplomacy, specifically in the context of the country’s engagement with Asia. Acknowledging the historical and ongoing impacts of colonialism, the article advocates for a paradigm shift that incorporates Indigenous perspectives at every level of policymaking. Drawing from Indigenous precepts, the concept of ‘First Nations Diplomacy’ is introduced, emphasising relational governance, reciprocity, and cultural preservation. The article delves into historical Indigenous inter-polity relations, highlighting nuanced, non-hierarchical approaches, contrasting with Western paradigms. It argues that embracing Indigenous concepts could reshape Australia’s security outlook, emphasising human security and sustainability. The article further suggests leveraging shared colonial histories and cultural linkages for more respectful and equal international relations, promoting mutual benefit and respect. An Indigenous-led approach can redefine Australia’s engagement with Asia, showcasing the nation’s maturity, openness, and willingness to address historical complexities. By prioritising respect, reciprocity, and mutual benefit, Australia can forge deeper, more meaningful relationships in the region, fostering a future built on understanding, equity, and shared prosperity.

Rousseau’s general will as a tool of democracy

Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s idea of the general will, the governing force in his political system, has led some to label him as an authoritarian. Herein I will analyse his writings in The Social Contract, and argue against this conception of the text, instead showing that this work supports the characterisation of Rousseau as a democrat. I will do this by building on Sreenivasan’s interpretation of the general will, which shows that Rousseau developed a system of deliberation to accord the common interest of the people with their democratic vote. I will argue that this deliberative mechanism, along with Rousseau’s conflation of the general will with the people’s vote supports the idea that Rousseau upheld a substantive form of democracy

Moral grandstanding and unhealthy cynicism: How unhealthy cynicism does not necessarily pervert public moral discourse

Moral grandstanding occurs when one tries to promote one’s reputation as morally respectable. A concern in philosophy, promulgated by Tosi and Warmke, is that pervasive moral grandstanding generates unhealthy cynicism that propels people to disengage from public moral discourse (2016, p. 210). Nevertheless, I argue that this worry is misguided, since excess cynicism triggers information consumers to employ self-correcting mechanisms that ultimately negate the purported impacts of moral grandstanding. In this paper, I outline two self-correction methods: passive correction through noise reduction and active correction through information verification. In the prior method, rational agents engage in ‘mental handicapping’ and discount grandstanding expressions. This enables people to sequester noises from quality contributions in moral discourse. For the latter method, agents conduct accountability checks and investigate the veracity of claims. This promotes listener participation in public debates. In all, the corrective consequences of amplified cynicism not only attenuate the apparent injurious effects of grandstanding but enhance the quality of public moral discourse

Why size doesn’t matter: The importance of the Pacific Island states to Taiwan’s diplomatic strategy

Of the 13 sovereign states that continue to recognise Taiwan over the People’s Republic of China (PRC), four are located in the Pacific, giving the region outsized importance to Taiwan’s international diplomatic strategy. This article examines the ways in which Pacific Island states are able to exercise their power through their influence on Taiwan’s international standing, due to their role in reaffirming Taiwan’s external sovereignty and sustaining its presence on the international stage. This approach emphasises the agency of Pacific Island states in international affairs and challenges the common misconception that Pacific Island states are too small to have a strong influence on global politics. In fact, the article argues that Pacific Island states have been able to leverage their smallness to their advantage, using the issue of diplomatic recognition to create mutually beneficial partnerships with larger states like Taiwan, the PRC, and the United States, and secure a significant role in international affairs.