D r Justin Sobion, a senior tutor at the University of Auckland’s Law Faculty, is a passionate champion for planet stewardship and Earth trusteeship—continually questioning who owns our planet and who will protect it for future generations.
Specialising in environmental law, Dr Sobion combines academic rigour with humility and approachability, whether delivering complex lectures, engaging in high-level discussions, or casually interacting with peers.
As a core contributor to the Earth Trusteeship Working Group, Dr Sobion co-authored Reflections on Earth’s Trusteeship (April 2023), which positions Earth trusteeship as a transformative model for governing our planet’s future.
He advanced the Earth trusteeship movement further in June last year, when his PhD thesis, Earth Trusteeship—A Framework for a More Effective Approach to International Environmental Law Governance, was selected among the top five at the University of Auckland and awarded the prestigious Vice-Chancellor’s Prize for Best Doctoral Thesis—honouring his original and significant contribution to planetary governance.
Dr Sobion’s distinguished legal career spans multiple jurisdictions. Called to the Bar on December 10, 2002, by his late father, Keith Sobion—a former attorney general of T&T and principal of Jamaica’s Norman Manley Law School—he has practised law in T&T and Dominica.
He served as first secretary at T&T’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva and worked as an associate human rights officer at the UN Human Rights Council.
His academic credentials include Master’s degrees in International Law from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, and Environmental Law from the University of Auckland. Last year, he completed his prize-winning PhD thesis and contributed as part of the legal team representing Grenada and St Vincent and the Grenadines at the International Court of Justice on the climate change advisory opinion.
Founder and CEO (Chief Ecological Officer) of Lawyers for Trees, an ecological movement dedicated to empowering small island states through eco-legal reform, Dr Sobion also pursues passions as an artist, author, and devoted family man. He is married to Aruélie Marcant and father to Isaiah.
He credits his late father’s wisdom and encouragement as a guiding force in his life and work.
Reflecting on receiving the award, Dr Sobion shared a personal message: “I’ve been unwaveringly inspired by my dad’s words from 2007: ‘All you are experiencing only puts more demand on you from the point of view of service to your people, the country and the region; it also requires your continuing humility and dedication to the higher purpose of life.’ Seventeen years later, graduating with my PhD in 2024 and receiving this prize in 2025, I thank him. Your memory lives on forever. It makes life worth living.”
Honouring his father’s legacy, Dr Sobion authored a 2019 biography titled West Indian Lawyer Keith Sobion and credits both his parents for their unwavering faith in him. He plans to convert his PhD thesis into a book to reach wider audiences.
To prospective doctoral candidates, Dr Sobion advises: “Treat your PhD as a job; pace yourself. A PhD is a scholarly marathon, not a 100m sprint. Don’t work seven days a week or you risk burning out. Listen attentively to your supervisors, and also have informal sessions with them. Take breaks to do what you love, and always spend time with those you care about.”
