Malaysian environmental human rights lawyer Charles Hector Fernandez was one of the speakers at the Lawyers for Lawyers seminar on environmental justice and the work of environmental lawyers. Fernandez has been in the news several times in recent years, including internationally, because of cases in which he represented clients against large corporations. Trade agreements are the big problem in dealing with large corporations, Fernandez said. New legislation is needed for that.
Fernandez was in the news last year because two major logging companies, Beijing Million and Rosa Timber & Trading, had sued him and his clients for “contempt of court”. Both companies had been granted permits for logging in the Jerantut Permanent Forest Reserve. Fernandez represented eight villagers who live near the reserve and believed that their interests would be harmed by the large-scale logging. Now, a “reserve” in Malaysia does not mean that the entire area consists of protected nature, but that there are also parts reserved for forestry and mining. The individuals Fernandez represented believed that the proposed activities would cause a serious infringement on their living environment, including in terms of water quality, traffic intensity, and on nature itself.
Charles Hector Fernandez: “Review of environmental legislation is urgently needed” – Lawyers for Lawyers
Malaysian environmental human rights lawyer Charles Hector Fernandez was one of the speakers at the Lawyers for Lawyers seminar on environmental justice and the work of environmental lawyers. Fernandez has been in the news several times in recent years, including internationally, because of cases in which he represented clients against large corporations. Trade agreements are the big problem in dealing with large corporations, Fernandez said. New legislation is needed for that.
Fernandez was in the news last year because two major logging companies, Beijing Million and Rosa Timber & Trading, had sued him and his clients for “contempt of court”. Both companies had been granted permits for logging in the Jerantut Permanent Forest Reserve. Fernandez represented eight villagers who live near the reserve and believed that their interests would be harmed by the large-scale logging. Now, a “reserve” in Malaysia does not mean that the entire area consists of protected nature, but that there are also parts reserved for forestry and mining. The individuals Fernandez represented believed that the proposed activities would cause a serious infringement on their living environment, including in terms of water quality, traffic intensity, and on nature itself.
Charles Hector Fernandez: “Review of environmental legislation is urgently needed” – Lawyers for Lawyers
