Embracing
Sustainable Litigation Jack Gilroy
T
o print, or not to print? That is (rarely) the question. Whether spurred by environmental apathy or pre-trial pressures, it has remained a damning indictment upon the legal industry that so few routinely turn their minds to this consideration. On one hand, it is important to recognise the commendable inroads made by industry heavyweights insofar as reducing pre-litigation paper wastage, particularly in the last ten years. Certainly, the notion of ‘wasting paper’ has been well ingrained into the psyche of the ordinary person as a generally undesirable prospect. However, the turn of the decade presents the legal industry an opportunity to lead by example. Australia’s tragic bushfire season and the international focus on climate change have created an unprecedented social and political climate, one which promotes environmentalism whilst, incidentally, affording industries an opportunity to appeal to the public interest. Accordingly, this article will endeavour to acknowledge the inroads made across the private and public legal sectors to reduce paper wastage in preparation for litigation, but will simultaneously consider the ‘uncharted territory’ faced by the industry in the 2020s.
12 | The Brief
Ed.1 2020
