Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) is delighted to announce that as of 1 July 2021, Belinda Rayment and Dr Lauren Butterly have been promoted to the position of Special Counsel. These promotions recognise the significant contribution and expertise that Belinda and Lauren bring to the EDO. We acknowledge this significant milestone and congratulate both Lauren and Belinda.
Belinda Rayment
Belinda joined the EDO team in 2011. Belinda has proven herself a particularly skilled lawyer across the board, performing with excellence in a diverse range of legal areas. But particularly she is regarded as an expert in community legal education and outreach and administrative law litigation. Belinda has had carriage of a range of significant proceedings including Humane Society International v Qld Department of Fisheries (the Great Barrier Reef Sharks Case).
The ability to communicate complex legal ideas to audiences unfamiliar with legal concepts is an important, difficult, and underrated, skill. Effectively delivered, community legal education empowers and re-distributes power to those who would otherwise be alienated by our legal systems. Belinda is widely regarded as expert in legal communication and the delivery of community legal education and outreach.
Dr Lauren Butterly
Lauren joined the EDO team in 2019 and has played a key leadership role within the organisation in respect of our work with First Nations and cultural heritage laws more broadly. Her presence has considerably built our reputation and standing in this space and notably included her appearance to give evidence before the Juukan Gorge Standing Senate Committee Inquiry.
Lauren arrived at EDO as a recognised expert in the field of cultural heritage and environmental law having been widely published in this space over a more than 10-year academic career. In 2020, Lauren completing her pHD which incorporated First Law in its analysis of how environmental laws impact First Nations Peoples. Her thesis was awarded the UNSW Law 2020 Excellence Award.
