Blog

Towards Legal Recognition for Non-Human Relations: Webinar Series

The Centre for Law & the Environment (CLE) at the University of British Columbia, in Vancouver, in collaboration with the UBC Sustainability Initiative and the Center for Democratic and Environmental Rights (CDER), presents a series of webinars for individuals and organizations from Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities interested in implementing laws that respect and protect non-human beings like rivers, lakes, species and ecosystems.

Rally for Steven Donziger’s Release and Justice for Ecuadorean Victims of Chevron's Toxic Legacy

The Centre for Law & the Environment is organizing a rally on August 6, 2021 to demand the release of US human rights lawyer Steven Donziger and justice for the Ecuadorean victims of Chevron's toxic legacy.

Rethinking the Reception of English Law in British Columbia

In 2013 the Supreme Court of Canada held that a 1731 English statute requiring all documents filed in court proceedings to be in English was in force in the province of British Columbia. The Court held that the statute met the requirements set out by BC's provincial statute governing the reception of English law in BC: the criminal and civil laws of England as of November 19, 1858 are received in the province "so far as they are not from local circumstances inapplicable." If the idea of a court declaring in 2013 that a 1731 English statute is in force in Canada makes you uneasy, you might...

Environmental and Natural Resource Law Specialization: Special note for the 2021-22 Academic Year

Due to some overlapping faculty member leaves, none of the courses listed as meeting the Specialization in Environmental and Natural Resource Law's international law requirement are offered in the 2021-22 academic year. To accommodate this unusual situation, certain courses in the upcoming academic year will be considered to fulfill the international law requirement:

Recap: Canadian Association for Food Law and Policy 5th Annual Conference

On May 13 to 15, the Centre for Law and the Environment hosted one of Canada's most thought-provoking forums on food systems. For the first time, the Canadian Association for Food Law and Policy's conference was based out of the West Coast, offering a unique opportunity to explore British Columbia as a case study in territorial food system governance, in addition to addressing a variety of pressing issues in food law and policy. 

Webinar: How to File a Submission with the Commission for Environmental Cooperation

This webinar will provide participants with an opportunity to learn the steps involved in filing a submission with the Commission for Environmental Cooperation, to understand changes to the process and to learn more about who can file a submission. The public will benefit from the opportunity to ask questions related to the process.

Canada's Toxic Legacy: Pan American Silver and Mining Billionaire Ross Beaty in Latin America

Join us for a virtual forum to hear from frontline communities and organizations in Latin America who have lived or observed the arrogant disregard of peoples’ rights, the lasting environmental disasters, and the forced displacement to make way for mining projects backed by Ross Beaty, Vancouver-based Pan American Silver’s founder and outgoing chairman.

Keynote with Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson: "Supernatural Oceans: A Worldview for Enlightened Oceans Governance and Territorial Food Systems"

Canadian Association for Food Law and Policy 5th Annual Conference: "Governing Territorial Food Systems: Legal Obstacles and Opportunities"

This conference will examine the legal obstacles and opportunities of building and governing territorial food systems as a means of addressing these concerns, and shaping food system futures to ensure they are not only more sustainable and climate-friendly, but more just, healthful, democratic, vibrant and tailored to the landscapes people inhabit. We will ask: How can law and policy be used to build territorial food systems that balance competing interests (while questioning to the extent to which these interests are or need to be in competition with each other)?

Warrior Lawyer Profile: Farhana Yamin

When thinking about international efforts to combat climate change, agreements like the 2015 Paris Agreement often comes to mind. With the primary goal of mitigating and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the agreement was seen as an important step towards addressing the climate crisis. As trust in these traditional methods has declined, however, direct action has moved to the forefront of the movement. A key contributor to both these types of environmental action is Farhana Yamin – a British international environmental lawyer and social justice advocate.

Warrior Lawyer Profile: Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson

The Cedar stands strong behind her as the guitar and sax drift gently around her. Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson sings soothingly to those cedars as a sign of respect and gratitude. The song is Cedar Sister, sung in Haida words about what the cedar gives us. She describes the shelter it provides, the lessons it gives, and how it lives in harmony with all beings like the bear and salmon. Beyond being beautiful and artistic, the song has significance in the Canadian legal landscape and specifically for the Haida people and their awakening indigenous law.

Warrior Lawyer Profile: Steven Donziger

For many of us, sheltering-in-place due to the COVID-19 pandemic has felt isolating, restrictive, and frustrating. And while navigating a pandemic is no small feat, as a resident of B.C., I have at least been able to leave my house—to pick up the mail, grocery shop, or take a walk. These simple freedoms are currently denied to Steven Donziger, who has been under house arrest for almost 2 years. Donziger is one of the attorneys for various Ecuadorean Indigenous and farming communities in their epic battle against Chevron.