Robert Makgill

Robert is an environmental, natural resources and public law expert.

In 2005 Robert was awarded a doctoral scholarship though the Maritime Institute, Department of Public International Law, Ghent University.

In 2010 he was legal counsel in the International Law for the Sea Tribunal’s (ITLOS) historic advisory opinion on deep sea mining in the High Seas, and has advised a party to the ITLOS advisory proceedings on illegal fishing activities within the Exclusive Economic Zones of third party States.

In 2011 he chaired the Legal Working Group for the International Seabed Authority and Secretariat of the Pacific Community during the International Workshop on Environmental Management Needs for Exploration and Exploitation of Deep Sea Minerals.

Robert is a legal advisor to the Secretariat of the Pacific Community on the European Union funded deep sea minerals project, which aims to establish deep sea regulatory frameworks for Pacific Island member States.
He is engaged by Crown Owned entities and industry to provide ongoing advice on the exploration and development of New Zealand’s Exclusive Economic Zone.

Robert holds a number of posts outside his barristerial practice including:

•    Exclusive Economic Zone Hearing Commissioner for the Environmental Protection Authority;
•    Member of the New Zealand Law Society’s Environmental Law Committee;
•    Adjunct litigation instructor for the New Zealand College of Law;
•    Research Fellow with the Faculty of Environment, Society and Design at Lincoln University; and
•    Doctoral Researcher at the Department of Public International Law at the University of Ghent, Belgium.

Email: robert@robertmakgill.com

Website: www.robertmakgill.com