Post on 13-Apr-2018
PublicInterestEnvironmentalLawinAsia
Grizelda“Gerthie”Mayo-Anda
© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.
OPPORTUNITIES
© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.
LinkbetweenHumanRightsandtheEnvironment*
1. 1972StockholmConferenceontheHumanEnvironment2. GeneralAssemblyResoluEonNo.45/943. Variouscountry’sConsEtuEonalandLegislaEve
provisionsonenvironmentalrights4. Tribunals5. HumanRightsTreaEes*Shelton,D.HumanRightsandtheEnvironment:SubstanEveRights,2011.
© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.
HumanRightsandtheEnvironmentSubstan<veRights• EnvironmentalprotecEonis
essenEaltotheenjoymentoftherightstolife,health,healthfulandbalancedecologyandfamilylife
• SeparatefrombutinterdependentwiththeproceduralrightsinEnvironmentalLaw
ProceduralRights• RighttoinformaEon• RighttoparEcipaEon• RighttoaccessjusEce• ProceduralmaUerstoensure
thatdecision-makinghastheinformedinputofthosepotenEallyaffectedbypoliciesandprojectsandforthemtohaveredressforgrievancesorresulEngharm
© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.
Substan<veEnvironmentalRightsandNa<onalLaw
• Morethan90naEonalconsEtuEonsintheworldrecognizenaEonalgovernmentdutytoitsciEzenstopreventharmtotheenvironment.Ofthese,over50recognizetheimportanceofahealthyenvironment,eitherasadutyofthestateorasaright.(KravchenkoandBonine,HumanRightsandtheEnvironment)
• India:1976amendmenttotheConsEtuEonaddressedenvironmentalquality,inaddiEonto“righttolife”underArEcle21.
© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.
SubstanEveEnvironmentalRightsandNaEonalLaw
• China:RevisedEnvironmentalProtecEonLawin2015resultedinanincreaseinenvironmentalpublicinterestlawsuits
• Philippines:ConsEtuEonalprovisionon“therightofthepeopletoabalancedandhealthfulecologyinaccordwiththerhythmandharmonyofnature”(ArtII,secEon16)havebeeninterpretedasadutynottodestroytheenvironment(Oposavs.Factoran)
© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.
AcEveRoleoftheJudiciary• SouthAsia:followingtheleadoftheSupremeCourtofIndia,courtsinSouthAsiahavebeenacEveinpublicinterestliEgaEon
-JonaRazzaque,PublicInterestEnvironmentalLiEgaEoninIndia,PakistanandBangladesh(2004);summariesofhundredsofcasescanbefoundinhUp://www.elaw.org/resourcesregional.asp?region=Asia
• China:SupremePeople’sCourtissuancein2016ofa“WhitePaperonEnvironmentalandNaturalResourcesAdjudicaEon”promoEngpublicinterestenvironmentalliEgaEon
© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.
Statutoryprovisionsandothertools• PrecauEonaryPrinciple• PolluterPaysPrinciple• EnvironmentalImpactAssessmentlawsinAsiaofferspotenEalnewtoolsforraisingconsciousnessandtakingintoaccounttheenvironmentalimpactsofregionaltradepolicies,foreigndevelopmentprojects,andothertransnaEonalacEvity.
© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.
PHILIPPINESUPREMECOURTRULESOFPROCEDUREFORENVIRONMENTALCASES
© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.
ObjecEves1.ProtectandadvancetheconsEtuEonalrightofthepeopletoabalancedandhealthfulecology2.Provideasimple,speedyandinexpensiveprocedurefortheenforcementofenvironmentalrightsandduEes3.IntroduceandadoptinnovaEonsandbestpracEcesensuringeffecEveenforcementofremediesandredressforviolaEonsofenvironmentallaws4.Enablecourtstomonitorandexactcompliancewithordersandjudgmentsinenvironmentalcases
© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.
HighlightsoftheRules(1) CiEzenSuits(2) ConsentDecree(3) EnvironmentalProtecEonOrder(4) WritofKalikasan(5) WritofConEnuingMandamus(6) StrategicLawsuitsagainstPublicParEcipaEon
(SLAPP)(7) PrecauEonaryPrinciple
© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.
Challenges• Inadequatenumberofpublicinterestenvironmentallawyers
• ComplexandnuancedscienEficissuesaccompanyingpublicinterestenvironmentalcases(eg.establishingcausaEonandesEmaEngenvironmentaldamages)
© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.
Challenges• Lackoffinancialresources• Weakgovernance(corrupEon;poliEcalintervenEon)
• Philippines:CiEzens’lackofknowledgeoftheSupremeCourtRulesofProcedureforEnvironmentalCases(RPEC)
© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.
INITIATIVES
© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.
Greenpeace,etal.v.EnvironmentalManagementBureauoftheDENREnvironmentalgroupsledbyGreenpeacefiledaWritofKalikasanandWritofConEnuingMandamustoseekthestoppageofthefieldtrialsofthegeneEcally-modifiedBacillusThuringiensis(Bt)eggplantsbeingdoneinvariouspartsofthecountry.
© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.
SomeIssues• ApplicaEonofthelawonenvironmentalimpactstatement/assessmentonprojectsinvolvingtheintroducEonandpropagaEonofGMOsinthecountry
• Evidenceofdamageorthreatofdamagetohumanhealthandtheenvironmentintwoormoreprovinces,asaresultoftheBttalongfieldtrials
• NeglectorunlawfulomissioncommiUedbythepublicrespondentsinconnecEonwiththeprocessingandevaluaEonoftheapplicaEonsforBttalongfieldtesEng
• ApplicaEonoftheprecauEonaryprinciple
© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.
SupremeCourtDecision1)permanentlystoppingquesEonedfieldtestsforBttalongandissuanceofnewpermitsongeneEcallymodifiedorganisms(GMOs)2)declaringnullandvoidthe“RulesandRegulaEonsfortheImportaEonandReleaseintotheEnvironmentofPlantsandPlantProductsDerivedfromtheUseofModernBiotechnology”otherwiseknownastheDepartmentofAgricultureOrderNo.08,seriesof2002and,3)temporarilystoppinganyapplicaEonforcontaineduse,fieldtesEng,propagaEonandcommercializaEonandimportaEonofgeneEcallymodifiedorganismsunElanewadministraEveorderispromulgatedinaccordancewiththelaw.
© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.
SCDecisiononPrecauEonaryPrincipleAssessingtheevidenceonrecord,aswellasthecurrentstateofGMOresearchworldwide,theCourtfindsallthethreecondi<onspresentinthiscase-uncertainty,thepossibilityofirreversibleharmandthepossibilityofseriousharm.Eggplants(talong)areastaplevegetableinthecountryandgrownbysmall-scalefarmers,majorityofwhomarepoorandmarginalized.Whilethegoalofincreasingcropyieldstoraisefarmincomesislaudable,independentscienEficstudiesrevealeduncertainEesduetounfulfilledeconomicbenefitsfromBtcropsandplants,adverseeffectsontheenvironmentassociatedwithuseofGEtechnologyinagriculture,andserioushealthhazardsfromconsumpEonofGMfoods.Forabiodiversity-richcountrylikethePhilippines,thenaturalandunforeseenconsequencesofcontamina<onandgene<cpollu<onwouldbedisastrousandirreversible.
© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.
ResidentMarineMammalsofTanonStraitrepresentedbyNGOs
• TañonStraitisaprotectedseascapebetweentheislandsofNegrosandCebu,Philippines
• Residentmarinemammalsarethe“toothedwhales,dolphins,porpoisesandothercetaceanspecies.”
• CiEzenSuit
© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.
INITIATIVE:ResidentMarineMammalsofTanonStraitrepresentedbyNGOs
• CaseforcerEorari,mandamusandinjuncEonwasfiledtoenjointheDepartmentofEnergy,etal.,fromimplemenEngaservicecontractinvolvingtheexploraEon,development,andexploitaEonofthecountry’spetroleumresourcesinandaroundtheTañonStrait.AmongtheacEviEesallowedin2005weretheconductofaseismicsurveyandoildrilling.
© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.
ResidentMarineMammalsofTanonStraitrepresentedbyNGOs
• ViolaEonoftheNaEonalIntegratedProtectedAreasSystem(NIPAS)Actof1992becauseTañonStraitis,byvirtueofProclamaEonNo.2146,anenvironmentallycriEcalarea.
• EnvironmentalComplianceCerEficate(ECC)mustbesecuredanerundergoinganEnvironmentalImpactAssessment(EIA)todeterminetheeffectsofsuchacEvityonitsecologicalsystem
© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.
ResidentMarineMammalsofTanonStraitrepresentedbyNGOs
• CourtnotedthatServiceContract46failedtocomplywiththesafeguardsrequiredunderParagraph4,SecEon2,ArEcleXIIofthe1987ConsEtuEonwhichrequiredthattheservicecontractbe(a)authorizedbyagenerallaw;(b)signedbythePresident,and,(c)reportedtoCongress.
© Developing Environmental Law Champions, Train-the-Trainers (TTT) Program 2017. All rights reserved by ADB and IUCNAEL.