ABC News, 19 February 2019:
Lawyers for mining firm
Adani proposed waging "war" on opponents of its controversial
Queensland mine by using the legal system to pressure government, silence
critics and financially cripple activists, according to documents obtained by
the ABC.
The draft copy of
Adani's new law firm's aggressive strategy to bring the Carmichael mine to life
is labelled "Taking the Gloves Off" and outlines a commercial
proposal by AJ & Co to win a multi-million-dollar legal contract with the
Indian mining giant.
In the document, the
Brisbane firm promised to be Adani's "trained attack dog".
The strategy recommended
bankrupting individuals who unsuccessfully challenge Adani in court, using
lawsuits to pressure the Queensland Government and social media
"bias" as a tool to discredit decisionmakers.
In a section called
"Play the Man", it recommended "where activists and commentators
spread untruths, use the legal system to silence them".
It also urged Adani to
hire private investigators to target activists and work "with police and a
criminal lawyer to ensure appropriate police action is taken against
protesters".
"Like a
well-trained police dog, our litigations know when to sit and shake, and when
it is time to bite," the law firm promised.
"To
achieve its commercial goal, Adani needs to accept it is involved in a
war."
