Good post jcwillis.

If I as an speculator/investor/whatever-but-not-a-lawyer have to worry about clause 19 being discussed in some sort of arbitration or whatever then we all know that the permit was not issued and the share price will ony be worth the selling value of mining equipment sitting in Houston or wherever.  From someone who has seen this before, rest assured that litigation to a failed contract TAKES YEARS. In that case life is to too short, just walk away and let the lawyers fight it out.

If the permit is issued, clause 19 etc. can become someone else's worry in a couple of years when production actually commences.  Most of us will have sold out by then.