This case was heard by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Their opinion is available here. Leaders of the Yakye Axa indigenous community of the Enxet-Lengua people filed suit against the Republic of Paraguay claiming that the Paraguayan State violated Articles 4 (right to life) and 25 (judicial protection), in conjunction with Article 1(1) (obligation …Read more

The Petitioner was the Secretary of Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) until his death. He was concerned about the increase in industrial pollution in the country and the Government’s lack of combative measures to tackle the issue. The Department of Environment, Pollution Control had carried out a survey identifying 903 industries that caused ecological imbalances …Read more

The applicant alleged that the military government of Nigeria (Government), in its efforts to produce oil through the State-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), contaminated the environment of the Ogoni People and led to environmental degradation and health problems among that community. More specifically, the applicant claimed that the NNPC, acting within a consortium with …Read more

Respondent industry sought to establish a new factory in the State of Andhra Pradesh to produce vegetable oils. The industry purchased land in Peddashpur village, within 10KM of two reservoirs that provided drinking water for 5 million people. In 1988, the Ministry of Forests and Environment established a “red” list of hazardous industries, including industry …Read more

The public defender brought a guarantee of protection of individual constitutional rights (amparo protection) to protect the health of children in the indigenous community of Paynemil whose drinking water supply had been contaminated with lead and mercury by an oil company’s operations. The State was alleged to have arbitrarily failed to protect the right to …Read more

The Petitioner, Ameer Bano, owned a house at Multan Road, Bahawalpur. She brought a claim before High Court of Lahore alleging that her right to life and freedom from disease under article 9 of the Constitution of Pakistan was violated by the breakdown of the sewerage system. The breakdown had caused dirty water to enter …Read more

The Petitioner, Legal and Environmental Analysis for Development and Research Services (Pvt.) Ltd. (LEADERS Inc) was a company that conducted research on environmental issues and promoted conservation. One of the Respondents, Godavari Marble Industries, was engaged in marble masonry. The Petitioner contended that the activities of the Respondent, including blasting and mining, were causing severe …Read more

Residents and mineworkers of Khewra filed a petition under Article 184(3) of the Pakistani Constitution alleging that a lease had been improperly granted to a mining company within a reserved water catchment area, thus endangering the potability of the resident’s water supply which could be contaminated by poisonous water seeping from the mine. A government-constituted …Read more

Chief Bernard Ominayak (the “author”) was the leader and representative of the Lubicon Lake Band (the “Band”), a Cree Indian Band living in the Province of Alberta in Canada. He argued that the State party expropriated Lubicon land for commercial interest despite its recognition that the Band members had the right to continue their traditional …Read more