Ecocide

A new law which could result in bosses of major polluters being jailed for up to 20 years will be introduced at Holyrood next year. The Ecocide Prevention Bill, proposed by Monica Lennon, has enough cross-party support to be introduced. Ecocide is the mass destruction of ecosystems and includes oil

As Scotland considers legislation on 'ecocide', Dr Filippos Proedrou and Dr Maria Pournara highlight the shortcomings of a new EU law. The EU recently passed a law that criminalises actions “comparable to ecocide”. It’s a revolutionary legal development — the first law of its

A new report commissioned by the Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland (ERCS) considers how the support for criminalising ecocide could translate into a workable domestic offence in Scotland. The report cautions that without sufficient investment in environmental enforcement agencies and existing

Belgium has become the first country in Europe to criminalise ecocide on a national and international level. A new penal code backed by Belgium's federal parliament yesterday provides for imprisonment of up to 20 years for individuals guilty of ecocide, and fines of up to €1.6 million for corpo

As global temperatures rise and the effects of climate change become more pronounced, countries around the world are witnessing a surge in climate-related litigation. Scottish Legal News delves into this growing trend, exploring key cases and shifts in global attitudes. The journey of international

Climate lawyers have urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate Brazil's president for crimes against humanity over his administration's policies in the Amazon ahead of the COP26 in Glasgow this month. The Allrise group has lodged a case with the court alleging that the government o

Legal experts have agreed on a definition of the crime of 'ecocide', which they hope will be adopted by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The draft law defines the offence as “unlawful or wanton acts committed with knowledge that there is a substantial likelihood of severe and widespread

International lawyers are drafting a plan for a new offence of ecocide. The panel organising the initiative is chaired by Professor Philippe Sands QC of University College London and Florence Mumba, a former Internation Criminal Court judge.