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Dr Elizabeth Macpherson

Contact

Department: School of Law

Email: elizabeth.macpherson@canterbury.ac.nz

Direct Dial: +64 3 3695459

Office: Meremere 312

Languages: English, Spanish

About
Research / Creative works
Supervision
Networks
Projects
Methods & Equipment

Fields of Research

  • Water law
  • Comparative law
  • Indigenous rights
  • Natural resources law
  • Environmental law
  • Human rights law
  • Latin American law and history

Researcher Summary

My research interests are in indigenous and environmental rights to natural resources in comparative contexts. I have a particular interest in indigenous rights to water in Australasia and Latin America.

Subject Area: Disciplines

  • Law: Comparative Law; Constitutional and Administrative Law; Environmental and Planning Law; Treaty Of Waitangi and the Law Relating to Indigenous Peoples

Resources

  • LinkedIn

Research/Scholarly/Creative Works

Authored Books
  • Macpherson EJ. (2019) Indigenous Water Rights in Law and Regulation: Lessons from Comparative Experience. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 291. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/9781108611091.
Journal Articles
  • Macpherson E. (2021) The (Human) Rights of Nature: A Comparative Study of Emerging Legal Rights for Rivers and Lakes in the United States of America and Mexico. Duke Environmental Law & Policy.
  • MacPherson E. (2020) Indigenous water rights in comparative law. Transnational Environmental Law 9(3): 393-402. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S2047102520000291.
  • Macpherson E. and Weber Salazar P. (2020) Towards an Holistic Environmental Flow Regime in Chile: Providing for Ecosystem Health and Indigenous Rights. Transnational Environmental Law.
  • Macpherson E., Torres J. and Clavijo Ospina F. (2020) Constitutional Law, Ecosystems and Indigenous Peoples in Colombia: Biocultural Rights and Legal Subjects. Transnational Environmental Law : 1-20. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s204710252000014x.
  • MacPherson EJ. and Salazar PW. (2020) Erratum: Towards a holistic environmental flowregime in Chile: Providing for ecosystem health and indigenous rights (Transnational Environmental Law (2020) 9:3 (481-519) DOI: 10.1017/S2047102520000254). Transnational Environmental Law 9(3): 655. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S2047102520000412.
  • Macpherson EJ. and Clavijo Ospina F. (2018) Rivers as persons in Aotearoa New Zealand and Colombia. Journal of Water Law 25: 283-293.
  • Macpherson EJ. and O'Donnell E. (2018) Voice, power and legitimacy: the role of the legal person in river management in New Zealand, Chile and Australia. Australasian Journal of Water Resources : 1-10. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13241583.2018.1552545.
  • Macpherson EJ. (2017) Beyond Recognition: Lessons from Chile for allocating indigenous water rights in Australia. University of New South Wales Law Journal 40(3): 1130-1169.
  • Macpherson EJ. and O'Donnell E. (2017) ¿Necesitan derechos los ríos? Comparando estructuras legales para la regulación de los ríos en Nueva Zelanda, Australia y Chile. Revista de Derecho Administrativo Economico 25: 95-120. http://dx.doi.org/10.7764/redae.25.6.
  • Macpherson E., Carmody E., Gardner Ā., Godden L., Holley C., Lee L., Lindsay B., Nelson R., O'Donnell E. and Owens K. (2016) The future of water reform in Australia - starting a conversation. Australian Environment Review 31(4): 132-137.
  • O'Neill L., Godden L., Macpherson EJ. and O'Donnell E. (2016) Australia, Wet or Dry, North or South: Addressing environmental impacts and the exclusion of Aboriginal peoples in northern water development. Environmental and Planning Law Journal 33(4): 402-417.
  • Macpherson EJ. and O'Donnell E. (2015) Desafíos para la gestión ambiental en Chile: perspectiva australiana [Challenges for Environmental Water Management in Chile: An Australian Perspective]. Revista de Derecho Administrativo Economico 2015(21): 171-203.
  • Macpherson EJ. and O'Donnell E. (2013) Challenges and Opportunities for Environmental Water Management in Chile: An Australian Perspective. Journal of Water Law 23(1): 24-36.
  • Macpherson EJ., O’Donnell E., Godden L. and O’Neill L. (1900) Lessons from Australian Water Reforms: Indigenous and Environmental Values in Market-Based Water Regulation. http://dx.doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/kyjxm.
  • O'Donnell E. and Macpherson EJ. (1900) Voice, power and legitimacy: the role of the legal person in river management in New Zealand, Chile and Australia. http://dx.doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/tavj8.
Theses / Dissertations
  • Macpherson EJ. (2016) Commercial Indigenous Water Rights in Australian Law: Lessons from Chile. PhD Thesis, Melbourne, Australia. University of Melbourne.
Chapters
  • Macpherson E. (2020) Derechos constitucionales, derechos humanos, derechos indígenas: el lado humano de los derechos de la naturaleza [Constitutional rights, human rights and indigenous rights: the human side of the rights of nature]. In Garcia Pachon MDP (Ed.), El Reconocimiento de la Naturaleza como sujeto de Derechos. Análisis y prospectiva [The Recognition of Nature as a Legal Subject: Analysis and Prospects]Universidad Externado de Colombia.
  • Macpherson E. (2019) Iwi Companies. In Watson S; Taylor L (Ed.), Corporate Law in New Zealand: 111-125. Wellington: Thomson Reuters.
  • Macpherson EJ., O'Neill L., Godden L. and O'Donnell E. (2018) Lessons from Australian water reforms: Indigenous and environmental values in market-based water regulation. In Holley C; Sinclair D (Ed.), Reforming Water Law and Governance: From Stagnation to Innovation in Australia: 213-234. Singapore: Springer. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-8977-0_10.
  • Macpherson EJ. (2013) Las complejidades del reconocimiento de derechos indígenas de agua en Chile [The Complexities of Indigenous Water Rights Recognition in Chile]. In Arroyo A; Boelens R (Ed.), Aguas Robadas: Despojo Hídrico y Movilización Social: 277-296.Editorial CBC and IE.
Conference Contributions - Other
  • Macpherson E. (2019) A Mother Earth Approach in Legal Education. United Nations, New York: Ninth Interactive Dialogue of the United Nations General Assembly on Harmony with Nature, 22 Apr 2018.
  • Macpherson E. (2019) Emerging Legal Rights for Nature in Mexico. University of Melbourne: Supporting Personhood Research Workshop, 26 Aug 2019.
  • Macpherson E. (2019) Environmental Law in End Times: Ecosystem Rights in Comparative Law. Southern Cross University, Gold Coast: Law in End Times: Annual LSAANZ conference, 5 Dec 2019.
  • Macpherson E. (2019) Legal Rights for Rivers and Ecosystems in Comparative Law: Recent developments from Colombia. Christchurch: Oceania Ecosystem Services Forum, 3 Sep 2019.
  • Macpherson E. and Clavijo Ospina F. (2019) The pluralism of river rights in Aotearoa New Zealand and Colombia. Santiago Chile: ICON.S 2019 Conference: Public Law in Times of Change, 1-3 Jul 2019.
  • Macpherson E. (2018) Derechos de los Pueblos Indigenas y Derechos de los Ríos: Perspectiva Neozelandeza. Bogota, Colombia: Jornadas Internacionales en Derecho del Medio Ambiente, 22 Oct 2018.
  • Macpherson E. (2018) Los derechos de la Naturaleza en Nueva Zelanda y las demandas Indígenas: Los Ríos como Personas Jurídicas. Bogota, Colombia: Seminario de Discusión Crítica Departamento de Derecho Constitucional, 23 Oct 2018.
  • Macpherson EJ. (2018) Fluid jurisprudence – Emerging Indigenous Rights to Water in Australasia and North America. Guadalajara: Australia and New Zealand Studies Association of North America (ANZSANA) Conference, 7-9 Feb 2018.
  • Macpherson EJ. (2018) Novel responses to indigenous water claims: Legal Rights for Rivers in Aotearoa New Zealand and Colombia. University of Canterbury: College of Business and Law Research Seminar, 21-21 Jun 2018.
  • Macpherson EJ. (2018) Te Awa Tupua: El Rio Whanganui como Persona Juridica’ [Te Awa Tupua: The Whanganui River as a Legal Person. Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso Law Faculty, Chile: Water Resources and Environment Colloquium, 25-25 May 2018.
  • Macpherson EJ. (2017) Culture and nature in the legal rights of rivers: Cases from Aotearoa New Zealand and Colombia. University of Otago: Law and Society Association of Australia and New Zealand Conference, 6-9 Dec 2017.
  • Macpherson EJ. (2017) Legal Rights for the Río Atrato. University of Melbourne: New developments in the legal status of rivers, 11-11 Aug 2017.
  • Macpherson EJ. (2017) Personifying Water: Legal Rights for Rivers in New Zealand and Colombia. University of Waikato: Thomson Reuters New & Emerging Scholars Symposium, 1-1 Nov 2017.
  • Macpherson EJ. (2017) Te Awa Tupua: El Rio Whanganui. Observatorio Ciudadano Con el apoyo de Colegio de Antropólogos Fundación Heinrich Böll Stiftung Cono: Derechos de Agua y Criminalizacion de la Protesta Social: Contexto Actual, Estrategias y Desafios, 6-6 Sep 2017.
  • Macpherson EJ. (2017) Unbundling the bundle of rights: The historical treatment of indigenous water rights in Australia and Chile. University of Canterbury: Australia New Zealand Legal History Society Conference, 14-16 Dec 2017.
  • Macpherson EJ. and O'Donnell E. (2017) Do rivers need rights? Comparing legal structures for river regulation in New Zealand, Australia and Chile. Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile: XIX Jornadas de Derecho y Gestion de Aguas, 8-8 Sep 2017.
  • Macpherson EJ. (2015) Indigenous Water Rights in Australian and Chilean Laws. Sydney Law School, Sydney, Australia: Indigenous Legal Research Workshop, 6-6 Feb 2015.
  • Macpherson EJ. (2014) The Historical Exclusion of Indigenous Peoples from Water Law Frameworks in Australia and Chile. University of Adelaide, Australia: Conference on Law and Indigenous Peoples in Colonial Australia and New Zealand, 1 Nov 2014.
  • Macpherson EJ. (2013) Demandas Māori para tierras y recursos en Aotearoa: Nuevos enfoques para resolver las demandas Indígenas’ [Māori claims for land and resources in Aotearoa: New approaches to resolving indigenous claims]. Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso, Chile: Seminario Propiedad Indigena, 1 Oct 2013.
  • Macpherson EJ. (2013) La formalizacion de propiedad ancestral sobre agua en el norte de Chile [The formalisation of ancestral water property rights in northern Chile]. Quito, Chile: 5th Waterlat Conference, 14-18 Oct 2013.
Other
  • Macpherson E. (2019) Legal Rights for Rivers: Competition, Collaboration and Water Governance [Book Review]. Alternative Law Journal� 44(4): 322-323. Legal Service Bulletin Co-operative Ltd.
  • Macpherson E. and Torres J. (2019) The Tour to Save the World: Colombia wins the Yellow Jersey for the Rights of Nature. I-CONnect [Blog].
  • Macpherson E. and Torres J. (2019) The Tour to Save the World: Colombia wins the Yellow Jersey for the Rights of Nature. World Commission on Environmental Law: IUCN News [Blog].
  • Macpherson E., Akhtar-Khavari A., Pelizzon A., O'Donnell E., Nelson R., Woolaston K. and Yates J. (2019) Why do Australia’s environmental laws fail to save our species from extinction? World Commission on Environmental Law - IUCN News [Blog].
  • Macpherson EJ. (2018) Morgera and Kulovesi, Research Handbook on International Law and Natural Resources (Edward Elgar, 2016). New Zealand Yearbook of International Law(14): 361-365. [Book Review].
  • Macpherson EJ., O'Donnell E. and Clavijo Ospina F. (2018) Meet the River People: Who Speaks for the Rivers? The Christchurch Press [Newspaper].
  • Baird NJ., Macpherson E., Barnett S., Brierley OF., Kennedy T., Thompson C. and Siataga T. (2017) Submission on "A Constitution for Aotearoa New Zealand". : 1-18.
  • Macpherson EJ., Holley, Cameron., Godden, Lee., O'Donnell, Erin., Owens, Katherine., Carmody, Erin. and O'Neil, Lily. (2017) Submission to the Productivity Commission Inquiry into the Reform of Australia's Water Resources Sector. : 1-9.
  • Carmody E., Cosens B., Gardner A., Godden L., Holley C., Lee L., Lindsay B., Macpherson EJ., Nelson R. and O'Donnell E. (2016) The future of water reform in Australia - starting a conversation. Australian Environment Review 31(4): 132-137.
  • Macpherson EJ., O'Donnell E., Godden L. and O'Neill L. (2016) Water in northern Australia: a history of Aboriginal exclusion. The Conversation: 1 (800 words).
  • Macpherson EJ. (2012) The Limitations of Indigenous Water Rights in the Proposed Murray Darling Basin Plan. Right Now: Human Rights in Australia: 1 (2,500 words).
Oral Presentations
  • Macpherson EJ. (2014) The Indigenous Water Market: Comparative approaches to commercial indigenous water rights. Centro de Derecho Ambiental, Universidad de Chile Law School: 01 Jan 2014.

Student Supervision

Displaying all items.
    Current
  • PhD - Thompson C: A Life of Its Own: Debates On Indigenous Water Rights And Ownership In Aotearoa New Zealand
  • PhD - Torres J: A Comparative Study of how the Urewera Forest in New Zealand and the Atrato River in Colombia Face the Lack of Regulation and Undefined Approach, Rights and Jurisdiction as Legal Entities
  • PhD - Zahmatkesh R: Judicial independence and Judicial Diversity
  • Masters - Mortiaux R: Legal personhood for the Ocean

Editorial Work

Displaying all items.
  • Canterbury Law Review Editor ( 2018 - 2021)

Future Research

  • Legal rights for nature
  • Water markets
  • Indigenous and enviromental water rights

Key Methodologies

  • Comparative law
  • Sociolegal analysis
  • Interdisciplinary studies
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