Climate change litigation: a matter of justice

Date: 28 June 2012

Time: 6.30pm - 8.00pm
Venue: Herbert Smith LLP, Exchange House, 12 Primrose Street, London, EC2A 2EG

A4ID is delighted to welcome Richard Lord QC (Brick Court Chambers and editor and co-author of “Climate Change Liability: Transnational law and practice”) and Stephen Humphreys (London School of Economics and author of “Human Rights and Climate Change”) to speak at the second part of our series on climate change liability.

During this session we will consider the alternative legal routes through which a climate change action may be brought before the courts and the potential barriers to making a claim for climate change harm. This follows on from the first part of the series in May that considered the link between changes in weather patterns and climate change harm, and discussed the legal principles underpinning a claim of climate change liability. 

Because the development of liability jurisprudence has so far been piecemeal, courts in developing countries have taken the lead in finding innovative legal routes to force state action. In India and Bangladesh for example mock climate change tribunals are being trialled to allow individuals to testify about how climate changes have destroyed livelihoods and lives.

In addition, as the distinction between rich country polluter and poor country victims begins to blur, an increasing appreciation of climate change harm as a violation of human rights has begun to emerge as highlighted by a meeting to discuss this issue held at the Human Rights Council in February this year.

At this event, Richard Lord QC will consider future development in climate change liability, and how the mere prospect of liability might shape the legal and political response to climate change.

Dr Stephen Humphreys will then explore how the landscape of litigation might change as a result of international courts being increasingly seen as a forum in which to demand climate change justice.

To register for a place on this event please follow this link: http://ccliabilitypart2.eventbrite.co.uk/

If you would like to join the meeting remotely, please contact chara.delacey@a4id.org for more information. 

Speakers

Richard Lord is a commercial litigator with over twenty five years’ experience, particularly of international disputes in the Commercial Court and in arbitration. Richard has developed an interest and expertise in legal aspects of climate change, and especially private liability issues. Richard has lectured and written extensively on this and attended the Cancun and Durban COPs as a volunteer for the Legal Response Initiative.

Dr Stephen Humphreys is a Lecturer in International Law at the London School of Economics. He was formerly Research DirectorA director is responsible for the day-to-day management of a company. Directors are also primarily responsible for the company’s business plan. at the International Council on Human Rights Policy in Geneva, and, before that, Senior Officer at the Open Society Institute’s Justice Initiative in New York and Budapest. Stephen is frequently consulted on the relationship between climate change and human rights by international organisations (such as OHCHR, World BankThe World Bank is a non-profit organization which focuses on achieving the Millennium Development Goals, seeking sustained development and the eradication of poverty. ), universities and NGOs.