Originally published in the Law Society Journal - November 2012.

Recent news of a future bilateral agreement between Australia and India for uranium export have put nuclear law and safety in the spotlight again.

Last month marked Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s first trip to India as leader and the start of negotiations for a nuclear agreement between the two countries. Years of refusing to export uranium to India had been an “obstacle” to Australia/India relations, the PM said.

It’s been an ongoing issue for Australia because India is not a party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, says Helen Cook, senior associate at international law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP.