NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE AND THE ROLE OF LAW 32.docx
《NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE AND THE ROLE OF LAW 32.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE AND THE ROLE OF LAW 32.docx(33页珍藏版)》请在冰豆网上搜索。
NATIONALENVIRONMENTALGOVERNANCEANDTHEROLEOFLAW32
SESSION3–NATIONALENVIRONMENTALGOVERNANCEANDTHEROLEOFLAW
CHAIRPERSONJUSTICEGUYCANIVET(PresidentoftheCourdeCassation,France):
Thankyouforthatpresentationbothofthecompendiumandtheinternetsite.Essentialtoolsforjudgestooninternationallaw.Sothisthenwasaperfectintroductiontothemeetingthisafternoon.Tobegin,IwouldjustliketosaydearcolleaguesthatIamverygrateful,theFrenchCourtofCassationishonouredtohavebeeninvitedtotheGlobalJudgesSymposiumonSustainableDevelopmentandtohaveaskedmetopresideoverthisSessiononNationalEnvironmentalGovernanceandtheRoleoflaw.Frenchjurisdictionlikemanyothersattachthehighestimportancetothisdebate.Sowhatwehavehereisrepresentationwithaviewtotakingpartinaraisingawarenessexerciseconcerningthewillingnesstoputthesedecisionsonsustainabledevelopmentintopractice.WeasFrenchJudgesareconvincedthatthebalancebetweendevelopmenttakingaccountoftheplanet'secologicalinstrumentsandthemaximumuseofresources,combatinginequalities,eradicatingpoverty,alltobeseeninthecontextandasanextensionofhumanrights.Thesearethemostimportantactivities,themostinnovativeactivitytobenoticedinyearstocome.InFranceasiselsewhere,manydecisionshavealreadybeentakenbyhighercourts,byadministrativeorjudiciarybodiestoadministerenvironmentallaw.Butthosedecisions,inmypersonalview,arejustthebeginningofconsiderablejudicialprecedentthatwilldesignoursysteminthefuture.Thequestionofsustainabledevelopment,asmanyhavealreadysaid,istobringtogetheralldebatesoflaw,international,publiclaw,internationalprivatelaw,comparativelawandaswassaidthismorning,thephilosophyoflawtoo,tocontributetotheemergenceofuniversal,legalvalues,asortofcommonlawforsustainabledevelopment.Theselegalinstrumentsshouldmakeitpossibleindifferentjurisdictionwithinthelimitsofauthoritiesandseparationofpowersandwedonotwanttogetintothatdebate,tomakeitpossibleformutualrecognitionofdecisionsandaccordinglytoensureapplicationincountriesotherthanthosewherethosesentenceshavebeenhandeddown.Tobringthesedecisionsintoline,toensurethattheconvergencebyinterpretationoflaworindeedbyconstruction,harmonizationandeffectivenessandnationalandinternationallawonsustainabledevelopment.Inorderforthoseconditionstoemergeandonceagaintakingaccountofthedifferentjurisdictionandintheirrespectiveareas,it'sclearlynecessaryforjudgeswhosestateshavemeanstoorganisesuchprocedurestoallowtheimplementationofsustainabledevelopmentoflawintermsofenvironmentalgovernance.Therefore,itisessentialforStatestofulfilanumberofconditions.Thefirsthasbeenmentionedatlengththismorning,soIdon'tthinkit'sreallynecessarytogetbackintoitinourdebate,eachStateshouldbegivenanindependentjudicialauthority,independentofthepoliticalauthorities,butalsoindependentofallprivateinordertobesufficientlystrongtohanddownitsdecisions,notonlytothepublicauthorities,buttothemostpowerfulprivateinteresttoo.ItisalsonecessaryforStatestoorganizecompetentinformedbodiestoproducejudgeswhoarewellawareofenvironmentallaw.Itisalsoaneedforindividualandcollectiveactiononconstitutionallaw,publiclaw,privatelawandcriminallaw,makingitpossibleforordinarypeopletoensurethatjusticeisadministeredeffectively.Inparticular,itisnecessaryforStatestocreateorallowtobecreatedproceduresmakingitpossibletocontrolandverifythelegalityofdecisionstakenonenvironmentalmatters,butalsoactionswhichwillmakeitpossibleforordinarypeopletoobligetheState,totakepositiveactiononenvironmentalmatters.Aswassaidthismorning,theprinciplesofsustainabledevelopmentgomuchfurtherthanprivateinterests,soitisalsonecessarytoseerecognitionatthenationallevelofthegeneralnatureofwhatcanbeprotectedundersustainabledevelopmentandenvironmentallawsothatpublicagenciescanbesetup,forexample,amongthesewecanrefertotheProsecutor'sOfficeherewhocouldensurethatsuchlawsareapplied.Butlawyersandcounselsalsohavetobeproperlytrainedonenvironmentalsustainabledevelopmentlawandordinarypeoplehavetobewellinformedoftheirrightsandtheseactionsandthattheycanhavethenecessarylegalaidinorderthattheycanundertakesuchactions.SothesearethevariousideasIwantedtoopenupbeforegivingthefloortoJusticeCharlesGonthieroftheSupremeCourtofCanadawhowillpresentanintroductoryreporttobefollowedbyJusticeZhangJun,JudgeoftheSupremePeoplesCourt,China,JusticeMuhammaduLawalUwais,ChiefJustice,SupremeCourtofJustice,NigeriaandJusticeJahazHannaSalimHalasa,JudgeoftheCourtofCassationinJordan.SoJusticeGonthier,youhavethefloor,sir.
JUSTICECHARLESGONTHIER:
Thankyou,Mr.Chairman.Sir,distinguisheddelegates,ladiesandgentlemen,itisindeedagreathonourandopportunityformetobepartofthisextremelyimportantandtimelysymposiumontheeveoftheupcomingWorldSummitofSustainableDevelopment.IspeaktoyouwithabackgroundofthecrucialunderlyingrealitiessoablystatedthismorningbyMr.JusticeWeeramantry.IalsospeaktoyoutoelaborateperhapsoncertainofthewayswhichtheChairmanofthissessionhasjustoutlined.Ishouldnotethatofcourseinthisbriefpresentationitisnotmyplacetoprovideasurveyofallsystemsofnationalenvironmentalgovernance.Thecountriesoftheearthareasdiverseasthedifferentspeciesinanecosystem.Withthisinmindandwithgreatinterestintheworld'sdifferentlegaltraditions,Iverymuchlookforwardtothecommentsofmycolleaguesonthepanel.HavingbeenamemberoftheSupremeCourtofCanadaforsomeyearsmypresentationwillrelymainlyontheexperiencesofmyCourtandmycountry,experienceswhichspringfromboththecommonandcivillawtraditions.Ihopetonotonlyidentifysomegeneralthemeswithinmydiscussion,butalsobeprovocativeenoughtoinspirecomparativecommentsanddebate.Environmentalgovernanceandtheroleoflawarechallenges.Environmentalgovernanceasastartingpointraisesseveralquestions.Governanceofwhat?
Bywhom?
Andforwhom?
.Whatisenvironmentalgovernance?
.Nationalenvironmentalgovernancecanbedescribedastheregimesincludingprinciples,institutionsandparticipatorymechanismswhichensurecompliancewiththenationalenvironmentallawsandstandards.Seenbroadly,itisalsoaboutthesettingofnationalgoals,theruleswhichachievethesegoalsandthepeoplewhomakeitwork.Goodgovernanceisnotsimplyaboutrespectfortheblackletterofthelaw,butalsoaboutfaithintheruleoflawitself.Fundamentally,governanceisaboutpeople.Itisunderpinnedandbolsteredbybroadersocialrecognitionoftheimportanceofenvironmentalvaluesandaspiritofsolidarity,orasIputforwardinMontreal,“fraternity”,beingremindedofarticle1oftheUniversalDeclarationofHumanRights,allhumanbeingsarebornfreeandequalindignityandrights.Theyareendowedwithreasonandconsciousandshouldacttowardsoneanotherinthespiritofbrotherhood.AccordingtotheWorldResourcesInstitute,environmentalgovernanceincludingcomplianceandenforcementcanbeweakduetoineffectiveandinefficientinstitutions,unrealisticenvironmentalstandards(regulatoryandmanagementframeworks),weakjudicialsystems,limitedparticipationoflocalcommunitiesandthepublic,andlackoftechnicalcapacity.Theseproblemsareexacerbatedbypovertyandassuchmaybeparticularlyrelevantfordevelopingcountries.Whilethelawisonlypartofthebroaderenvironmentalgovernancesystem,particularlyonthenationallevel,ithasaroletoplayinaddressingallofthesechallenges.Thenextquestionisgovernanceofwhat?
.Thisisnotasimplequestion.Governanceoftheenvironmentitselfisofcourse,almostimpossible.Evenifwehadfullscientificcertaintyaboutthenatureandextentofmostenvironmentalproblems,natureisextremelycomplexandpowerful.Theenvironmentitselfisactuallythesumofmanynaturalandhumanmadecharacteristics,fromriverstomountainstoproductionsuchaspollutiontodesertificationordeforestation.Eachproblemrequiresitsownsetofsolutions,completewithruleswhichmustbefollowed.Whenwespeakofenvironmentalgovernancewereallymeanthegovernanceofhumanaffairsastheyaffecttheenvironment.Thisgovernanceisadauntingchallenge,buttheroleoflawisclearlyquitesignificantwithinit.Putsimplythelawcanprovideinstrumentstoensurethathumanitymovesforwardinthewaythatisrespectfuloftheenvironment,awaythatmaybesustainedovertime.Nationalenvironmentallawscancontributetothegoalofenvironmentalprotectionandfurtherinconjunctionwithsocialandeconomiclawscanensureacommitmenttosustainabledevelopment.Thishappensthroughincentives,inducementsandbyrecoursethroughauthority.Butattheheartofenvironmentalgovernanceliesseveralparadoxesthrownintosharpreliefwhenweconsidertheroleoflawmoredeeply.First,environmentalchallengesandopportunitiescomefrommanydifferentaspectsofhumansociety.Theycutacrossmanyeconomicandsocialsectors,health,agriculture,energyandnaturalresourcestonamebutafew.Suchacomplexsetofissuesrequiresnotone,butessentiallymanyproblembasedsolutions.Mostenvironmentallawandjurisprudenceareassuchalloverthemap.Theyaddr