Empowering Communities in a Context of Regulatory Capitalism and Capture

On 28 March 2023, The Centre for Law and Social Justice supported a seminar exploring the practical concepts and application of a multidisciplinary regulatory capture test synthesised by Dr Tony Brown. The test provides communities and others with a better ‘real world’ appreciation of the symptoms and impact of the systemic and intensifying infiltration of private commercial interests into the alleged impartial, transparent and objective government-based legal framework, the determinative processes and supporting narrative.

This research contribution is eminently applicable to a diverse range of community justice interests including public health and safety, environmental sustainability, corporate compliance/enforcement, heritage and consumer protection. The seminar includes a brief case study of the south-west Sydney Casula community’s successful double legal challenge (UoN legal centre) against the imposition of two large high-risk hotels in the middle of their community. Casula’s community leader and teacher Dr Criss Moore (Gamilaraay) and local Trauma surgeon Dr John Crozier AM joined the seminar.