Understanding the concept of Public interest case and its importance in environmental litigation

Running head: Environmental Law
Environmental Law

Environmental Law 1
Contents
Answer to Q1..............................................................................................................................................2
Understanding the concept of Public interest case and whether it is an important area of environmental
litigation......................................................................................................................................................2
Answer to Q2..............................................................................................................................................3
Relevance of Precautionary Principle in Urgenda Foundation v. The State of the Netherlands...................3
Answer to Q3..............................................................................................................................................3
Materials referred by the Court in deciding the case....................................................................................3
Bibliography................................................................................................................................................7
A Articles/Books/Reports........................................................................................................................7
B Cases....................................................................................................................................................7
C Legislation...........................................................................................................................................7
D Treaties................................................................................................................................................7
E Others...................................................................................................................................................7

Environmental Law 2
Answer to Q1.
Understanding the concept of Public interest case and whether it is an important area of
environmental litigation
Public interest case is the application of law to protect the environment and raising the issues of
public concern in this regard. Public interest case or ligation is commonly used for challenging
the decisions made by public authorities through a judicial review.
Public interest cases can help in clarifying the law along holding the public bodies accountable
so that they make proper decisions. In this manner, they act in a transparent and fair manner and
within the scope of their powers1 .
Public interest cases play an important role in the area of environmental litigations. They help in
preventing, reducing, remediating and compensating for the harm which is being done to the
environment.
Legal change comprising of the change which can be affected by public interest cases are
assumed to play a crucial role in introducing social policy reforms in a country. Public interest
cases introduce changes in the law for the benefit of the individuals and environmental
communities which are not directly involved in an environmental campaign as held in Urgenda
Foundation v. The State of the Netherlands 2.
1 NSW Land and Environment Court., Environmental Public Interest Litigation: Conditions for
Success(2013)< http://www.lec.justice.nsw.gov.au/Documents/preston_environmental%20public%20interest
%20litigation.pdf>
2 Urgenda Foundation v. The State of the Netherlands, C/09/456689/HA ZA 13-1396