Courts key in enforcing green laws: NGT chief

BAKU: National Green Tribunal (NGT) chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava has emphasised on the role of judiciary in the implementation and enforcement of forest laws, noting that the judicial mechanisms are vital in holding govts and industries accountable for their environmental obligations, ensuring compliance with international agreements, and fostering a culture of sustainability.

He was speaking here on the sidelines of CO on Friday on the Model Forest Act Initiative (MoFAI) to develop such a law as a systematic way to provide expertise, efficiency, and scale required to match the severity of the global forest crisis. He also participated in a global dialogue among judges on pollution, nature and water in the context of climate change and addressed a gathering on Saturday.

Calling for increased collaboration between national courts and international legal frameworks to address the interconnected challenges of climate change and environmental degradation, Justice Shrivastava said, "I urge everybody to recognise the power of the judiciary to take a lead and play an effective role in preserving the forests". He cited numerous examples from India where NGT and the country's Supreme Court intervened for better implementation of existing laws and identified gaps and got it filled either by issuing directives or guidelines.

The panel he spoke to on Friday included Justice Sapana Pradhan Malla, judge of the Supreme Court of Nepal; Justice Luc Lavrysen, president of the Constitutional Court of Belgium and president of EU Forum of Judges for the Environment; and judge Elisa Samuel Boerekamp, director-general of the Center for Judicial and Legal Training of Mozambique.


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