Environmental Justice and the work of Environmental Lawyers

Environmental Lawyers Campaign

In order to provide public recognition and support to environmental lawyers at risk, Lawyers for Lawyers has launched a one-year ‘Environmental Lawyers Campaign‘ on 19 May 2022. In recent years, attacks against environmental lawyers have increased significantly. The campaign aims to raise international attention on environmental lawyers who are being intimidated, harassed or are otherwise at risk because of their work and to create more international solidarity and knowledge by sharing ‘success stories’, i.e. successful cases taken up by environmental lawyers.

 

About the Campaign

In recent years, attacks against environmental lawyers have increased significantly. These attacks include acts of intimidation, assault, enforced disappearance, unlawful detention, violations of private and family life, and in the worst cases, even the killing of lawyers.

In order to provide public recognition and support to environmental lawyers at risk, Lawyers for Lawyers has launched a one-year ‘Environmental Lawyers Campaign’ on 19 May 2022. The campaign aims to raise international attention on environmental lawyers who are being intimidated, harassed or are otherwise at risk because of their work. We want to provide these lawyers with moral and practical support through a series of actions, including statements, individual petitions, and submissions. The purpose of this campaign is also to reduce acts of harassment against environmental lawyers by sending the message to national governments that the international community is watching.

Finally, the campaign aims to create more international solidarity and knowledge amongst environmental lawyers by sharing ‘success stories’, i.e. successful cases taken up by environmental lawyers.

Stories of environmental lawyers

The campaign will focus on the work of environmental lawyers from around the globe. Regularly, articles introducing one of the lawyers will be published on L4L’s website and social media. The campaign will also include other activities, including interventions, individual petitions and submissions, and conferences. The campaign will be concluded with the publication of a final report on environmental lawyers, which will be shared with relevant stakeholders. This report will combine all the interviews mentioned above, as well as commentaries on the general situation of environmental lawyers.

Stories, events and other actions

14 maart 2024

Interview with Mr. Ritwick Dutta; leading figure in environmental law in India for the past 20 years and founder of LIFE (LegalInitiative for Forest and Environment)

India

Ritwick Dutta, an environmental lawyer with over 20 years of legal experience in India, established his own organisation: the Legal Initiative for Forest and Environment (LIFE) in 2008, with a specific focus on environmental litigation.  LIFE, a non-governmental organization (NGO),

Lees verder
5 juli 2023

Dual interview with Mr Brandon Abdinor and Ms Thobeka Gumede, lawyers at the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) in South Africa: “It is sometimes easier to engage with communities who are already impacted and that is so unfortunate”

Brandon Abdinor became aware of the dependency of the world civilization on fossil fuels at a young age and is now a passionate climate advocacy lawyer. Thobeka Gumede initially chose environmental law out of curiosity, as it was the least

Lees verder
3 mei 2023

Att. Marco Emanuel Chung Ramos: “It is not just the protection of the environment; it is a protection of what is ours and of who we are”

Peru

Illustration: Joost Hölscher Marco Emanuel Chung Ramos is a lawyer specialising in human rights and criminal law who – on top of that – has made a career out of his environmental activism in Peru. Mr. Marco Chung characterises his

Lees verder
3 april 2023

Interview with att. Olivier Bahemuke Ndoole: “Collaboration with our neighbouring countries Rwanda and Uganda is necessary to protect our common forests and wild animals, but the lack of clear public policies is preventing that”

Democratic Republic of Congo

Illustration: Joost Hölscher Olivier Bahemuke Ndoole is a Congolese environmental and human rights activist and lawyer, living and working in the city of Goma. As executive head of his organisation ‘Alerte Congolaise pour l’Environnement et les Droits de l’Homme’ (ACEDH),

Lees verder
20 februari 2023

Juan Carlos Flores Solís: “One of our main goals is to ensure the respect for the right to life, the right to self-determination of indigenous people and the right to decide over what happens in their lands”

Mexico

Photo and illustration: M. A. Fernández y J. Marcos & Joost Hölscher Mexico has one of the highest incidence rates of threats and violence committed against human rights defenders, journalists and lawyers in the world. Juan Carlos Flores Solís, in

Lees verder
27 januari 2023

Interview Nazeli Vardanyan: “Nothing can stop me as an environmental lawyer, I will fight until justice is done. International solidarity and support will guarantee the safety of environmental lawyers around the world”

Armenia

Illustration: Joost Hölscher The Armenian environmental lawyer, Nazeli Vardanyan, is admirable for her commitment to protecting Armenia’s environment. She is the founder and director of Armenian Forests Environmental NGO, which is committed to afforestation, reforestation, nature protection, engagement of community

Lees verder
16 januari 2023

Interview Syeda Rizwana Hasan: “Environmental justice is intrinsic to every other human rights issue”

Illustration: Joost Hölscher Syeda Rizwana Hasan is a renowned environmental lawyer from Bangladesh and the chief executive of the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA). As the only environmental justice organisation in Bangladesh, BELA is involved in advocacy and environmental public

Lees verder
22 december 2022

Adil Meléndez Marquez: “When starting a legal case, there is no guarantee at all that it will ever be treated, let alone that environmental and human rights violations are actually punished”

Colombia

Illustration: Joost Hölscher Adil Meléndez Márquez, 46 years old and born in San Onofre, department of Sucre, Colombia, lives in the north of Colombia in Cartagena de las Indias. He works as an environmental and human rights lawyer and mainly

Lees verder