Desperately Seeking the Legal Right to a Healthy Climate

King’s Legal Clinic invites you to a debate with leading lawyers and law-makers on how to enact a right to a healthy climate in UK law. Every year, legal clinics around the world take action for the Global Day of Action on Climate Change. This year’s theme is the right to a healthy environment.

The event is held in conjunction with King’s Environmental Rights Recognition Project (ERRP) and Centre for Climate Law & Governance | King’s College London (kcl.ac.uk)

Speakers at the event will include (among others):

Shaila Pal, Director of Clinical Legal Education will introduce the event

David Wolfe KC of Matrix Chambers, a leading public law barrister who specialises in (among other things) environmental judicial review challenges. David recently co-wrote an Environmental Rights Bill, which would establish a binding right to a healthy environment in the UK. The bill has the support of major environmental charities, including Wildlife and Countryside Link, ClientEarth, the RSPB and Friends of the Earth.

Estelle Dehon KC of Cornerstone Barristers, a leading public law barrister who specialises in environment and planning law, and has particular expertise in litigation relating to climate change and ‘Net Zero’. This year she founded Cornerstone Climate, a cross-disciplinary centre of excellence for climate litigation and advice.

Joshua Jackson of Cloisters, a leading junior barrister who has been instructed on ground-breaking climate change/human rights cases, including Duarte Agostinho & Ors v Portugal & 32 Other States (the first ever first ever climate change case filed at the European Court of Human Rights) and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ Advisory Opinion on the Climate Emergency and Human Rights.

Angus Eames of ClientEarth, a leading environment lawyer whose work centres on the implementation and enforcement of domestic environmental law, particularly in relation to fisheries. Angus undertakes strategic litigation and judicial review with focus on access to justice and rule of law issues.

The panel will be hosted by the fantastic Sue Willman, who has over 30 years’ experience of innovative public interest litigation, focusing in recent years on environmental litigation. In 2020, Sue set up the Human Rights and Environment Legal Clinic at King’s College London, the first of its kind in the UK.

The discussion will be followed by refreshments.