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April 12th, 2013 
The International Court of Justice will hear Australia’s case to stop Japanese whaling in June.
Source: AAP
ATTORNEY-GENERAL Mark Dreyfus has welcomed the opportunity to stop Japan’s whaling program “once and for all” in the United Nations’ highest court.
The International Court of Justice has announced it will hold public hearings in the case over Japan’s whaling research program in Antarctica from June 26.
Australia’s lawyers will fire the first shots on the opening day of the hearing, followed a week later by Japan.
“Australia will now have its day in court to establish, once and for all, that Japan’s whaling hunt is not for scientific purposes and is against international law,” Mr Dreyfus said in a statement.
“Australia wants this slaughter to end.”
Australia took Japan to the Hague-based ICJ in May 2010 alleging “Japan’s continued pursuit” of a large-scale whaling program put the Asian country in breach of international conventions and its obligation to preserve “marine mammals and the marine environment”.
Japan maintains its program is for scientific research.
Australia as well as New Zealand, which will also make a submission at the ICJ hearings, have expressed outrage at the hunt.
Australia asked ICJ judges to order Japan to stop its whale research program called “JARPA II”, the second phase of its hunt on whales in Antarctica under a special permit.
“Australia requests the court to order that Japan cease implementation of JARPA II, revoke any authorisation, permits or licences” allowing whaling under the program, it said.
It also wants the ICJ to get guarantees from Tokyo it will not undertake any further research until it conformed “to its obligations under international law”.
A ruling by the ICJ may not be handed down for several months.
Comment has been sought from the embassy of Japan.
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