Judicial experience in environmental protection: An interview with the Chief Judge of the Land and Environment Court of New South Wales, Australia.

Australia¿s state of New South Wales established a Land and Environment Court in 1980. During an interview in 2012 its Chief Justice, Brian Preston, provided insights into why this first supreme and specialist environmental court is an exemplar. The historical context of the Land and Environment Court is described. This paper explores three key ideas: the benefits of the LEC, the independence of the judiciary and the power of public interest litigation. It ends with a reflection on the reasons for the different caseloads between New South Wales and Qingdao (China). The Chief Justice and the authors discussed China¿s environmental judicial system and possible changes to enhance its operation. This interview and the reflection on each issue provides insights into environmental judicial issues in Australia that may be of use in China