Japan plans determined defence of whaling case

Australia's $20 million legal bid to end Japan's "research" whaling in the Antarctic is set to begin hearings against a determined defence led by a top Japanese official, according to an article in smh.com.au.

Deputy Foreign Minister Koji Tsuruoka, a career lawyer-diplomat, will lead its delegation at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, a Japanese government source told Fairfax Media.

Mr Tsuruoka was recently appointed as Japan's chief negotiator for the Trans Pacific Partnership economic agreement between Pacific Rim countries, including Australia and Kyoto, the news agency said.

Japan will challenge the ICJ's jurisdiction to hear the case, as well as rejecting the Australian legal argument that the hunt contravenes the global treaty on whaling, ANU international law professor Don Rothwell said.

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