title: The International Law Gaze: Allard v. Barbados

authors: Alvarez-Jimenez, Alberto

abstract: What does it happen if as a result, among others, of an alleged State’s failure to enforce its environmental regulation, a foreign investor suffers significant losses due to the environmental deterioration provoked by the failure, argues that the failure constitutes a violation of its rights under an international investment agreement, and requests compensation from the host State? The award in Peter A. Allard v the Government of Barbados answers this and other related questions. (Peter A. Allard v the Government of Barbados, Permanent Court of Arbitration, PCA Case No 2012-06, 27 June 2016) (Allard v Barbados). Although the investor lost the case, there are lessons to draw for environmental authorities and for New Zealand investors abroad.

text: The International Law Gaze: Allard v. Barbados What does it happen if as a result, among others, of an alleged State’s failure to enforce its environmental regulation, a foreign investor suffers significant losses due to the environmental deterioration provoked by the failure, argues that the failure constitutes a violation of its rights under an international investment agreement, and requests compensation from the host State? The award in Peter A. Allard v the Government of Barbados answers this and other related questions. (Peter A. Allard v the Government of Barbados, Permanent Court of Arbitration, PCA Case No 2012-06, 27 June 2016) (Allard v Barbados). Although the investor lost the case, there are lessons to draw for environmental authorities and for New Zealand investors abroad.

year: 2018

title: Analysis of ICP variants for the registration of partially overlapping time-of-flight range images

authors: Larkins, Robert L.

subjects: ICP

abstract: The iterative closest point (ICP) algorithm is one of the most commonly used methods for registering partially overlapping range images. Nevertheless, this algorithm was not originally designed for this task, and many variants have been proposed in an effort to improve its prociency. The relatively new full-field amplitude-modulated time-of-flight range imaging cameras present further complications to registration in the form of measurement errors due to mixed and scattered light. This paper investigates the effectiveness of the most common ICP variants applied to range image data acquired from full-field range imaging cameras. The original ICP algorithm combined with boundary rejection performed the same as or better than the majority of variants tested. In fact, many of these variants proved to decrease the registration alignment.

text: Analysis of ICP variants for the registration of partially overlapping time-of-flight range images The iterative closest point (ICP) algorithm is one of the most commonly used methods for registering partially overlapping range images. Nevertheless, this algorithm was not originally designed for this task, and many variants have been proposed in an effort to improve its prociency. The relatively new full-field amplitude-modulated time-of-flight range imaging cameras present further complications to registration in the form of measurement errors due to mixed and scattered light. This paper investigates the effectiveness of the most common ICP variants applied to range image data acquired from full-field range imaging cameras. The original ICP algorithm combined with boundary rejection performed the same as or better than the majority of variants tested. In fact, many of these variants proved to decrease the registration alignment.

year: 2010

title: Personality and Representation in Environmental Law

authors: Daya-Winterbottom, Trevor

abstract: Jorge Vinuales from the University of Cambridge observed in his working paper on “Law and the Anthropocene” that law is founded on a series of core concepts, such as, “legal personality, representation, obligation, debt, causality or damage” (CEENRG Working Papers 2016- 4, page 49). This led him to note that a “significant problem” faced by environmental law is how to flesh out these core concepts in relation to the protection of the environment (page 53). For example, should we regard natural resources (e.g. rivers or mountains) as “subjects” of environmental law with their “own interests and capacity to act (through representation)”, or merely as the “objects” of environmental law – to be protected either “directly” as specific natural resources, or “indirectly” via the protection of the environment generally (page 53). This article interrogates these perspectives by reference to recent New Zealand developments.

text: Personality and Representation in Environmental Law Jorge Vinuales from the University of Cambridge observed in his working paper on “Law and the Anthropocene” that law is founded on a series of core concepts, such as, “legal personality, representation, obligation, debt, causality or damage” (CEENRG Working Papers 2016- 4, page 49). This led him to note that a “significant problem” faced by environmental law is how to flesh out these core concepts in relation to the protection of the environment (page 53). For example, should we regard natural resources (e.g. rivers or mountains) as “subjects” of environmental law with their “own interests and capacity to act (through representation)”, or merely as the “objects” of environmental law – to be protected either “directly” as specific natural resources, or “indirectly” via the protection of the environment generally (page 53). This article interrogates these perspectives by reference to recent New Zealand developments.

year: 2018-02-06