Balancing social justice and the ‘Rights of Nature’ in the shadow of Table Mountain
On Friday, 29 August, there will be a public engagement process in Rondebosch, Cape Town, to discuss the possibility of recognising Table Mountain, also known as Hoerikwaggo and Umlindi Weningizimu, as a legal subject with inherent rights. The Wild Law Institute in Cape Town....
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In Canada, Indigenous advocates argue that mining companies violate the rights of nature
In Western legal systems, arguments against pollution or the destruction of the environment tend to focus exclusively on people: It’s wrong to contaminate a river, for example, because certain humans depend on the river for drinking water.
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The Most Environmentally Imaginative Country on Earth Is Under Assault
High in the Ecuadorean Andes is a cloud forest that is home to hundreds of endangered, extraordinary creatures, many of which seem to have wandered straight out of the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch —
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Switzerland recognizes the Mar Menor Lagoon as a subject of rights and foreign legal entity
In July 2025, the Swiss State Secretariat for International Finance (SIF) recognized the Mar Menor saltwater lagoon as a subject of rights and a foreign legal entity under Spanish law, granting the lagoon’s request for access to environmental information under Swiss and international law.
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Offshore drilling project halted in landmark high court victory for coastal communities against Shell, TotalEnergies
In a landmark victory for civil society and coastal communities, the Western Cape High Court has set aside the South African government’s decision to grant environmental authorisation for offshore drilling in Block 5/6/7, ...
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Council recognises right of River Test to flow unimpeded and unpolluted
Local politicians have recognised the right of a famous chalk stream, the Test in Hampshire, to flow freely and unpolluted. Councillors on Test Valley borough council voted unanimously...
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How young people have taken climate justice to the world’s international courts
Youth activist organisations including Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change and World Youth for Climate Justice recently coordinated massive online calls across two different time zones....
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The Bloom of Nature’s Rights On the IACtHR’s Recognition of Nature’s Legal Personality in AO-32/25
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ (IACtHR) advisory opinion on human rights and the climate emergency (AO-32/25) addresses numerous dimensions of the climate crisis, setting an important precedent for the protection of our planet. This post focuses on one particularly significant development: the IACtHR’s
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How Colombia and Ecuador Are Rewriting Law to Listen to Nature Itself
In Colombia and Ecuador, rivers and forests can now sue for their survival. By granting ecosystems legal rights, two Andean nations are redefining who gets a voice in court—and raising a question every country will soon face: what does nature demand?....
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Digging Deeper: Why Constitutional Recognition ofNature’s Rights is Key to Solving Ghana’s EnvironmentalCrisis
Limitations of Ghana’s Environmental Governance Legal Framework: The Rights ofNatureRegrettably, Ghana’s existing legal architecture for environmental governance—and itshighest legal instrument—primarily emphasizes human rights to access and utilize naturalresources, rather than recognizing the intrinsic rights of nature itself. Ghana’s legalframeworks lack explicit acknowledgment of the Rights of Nature, .......
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Digging Deeper: Why Constitutional Recognition of Nature’s Rights is Key to Solving Ghana’s Environmental Crisis
This perspective paper draws upon the constitutional provisions concerning the rights of nature in Ecuador and Bolivia to offer nuanced recommendations for integrating the rights of nature into Ghana’s environmental governance legal framework.....
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Grosspösna, Germany court case on voting rights for oak trees
In 2025, a German citizen together with the oak trees of the municipality of Grosspösna filed a legal petition with local authorities claiming the right for oak trees (Quercus robur) to vote in the upcoming German federal election. This unusual legal action stems from escalating environmental concerns....
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Call for Papers: The Rights of Nature
The journal invites submissions for the upcoming issue The Rights of Nature, which will be Guest Edited by Ramiro Avila Santamaría and Manuela Picq. The deadline for submissions is December 1, 2025
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Inter-American Court of Human Rights officially recognizes the Rights of Nature
On July 3, 2025, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights announced its issue of Advisory Opinion OC-32/25, recognizing Nature and its components as a subject of rights. This is the first time the Court explicitly affirms that Nature, in and of itself, can hold legal rights, marking a groundbreaking moment in the evolution of human rights and environmental jurisprudence.
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Rights of Nature Ghana Movement Engages Atatem Community In Tree Planting and Combating Galamsey Threats
To promote environmental conservation and community empowerment, the Rights of Nature Ghana Movement (RONAG), with support from Gower Street, UK, organised a comprehensive tree-planting exercise and a rights of nature sensitisation workshop for the residents of the Atatem community in the Adansi North District of the Ashanti Region.
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Rights of Nature Ghana Movement Engages Atatem Community In Tree Planting and Combating Galamsey Threats
In an effort to promote environmental conservation and community empowerment, the Rights of Nature Ghana Movement (RONAG), with support from Gower Street, U.K., organised a comprehensive tree planting exercise and rights of nature sensitisation workshop for the residents of the Atatem community in the Adansi North District of the Ashanti Region
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