Access to Justice update from ClientEarth and Justice and Environment

Our Opinions

Why we need to reply to the public consultation on access to justice in environmental matters

The European Commission launched a public consultation on the EU’s implementation of the Aarhus Convention in the area of access to justice. The input provided to the consultation will feed into the study that is being carried out for the Commission to find ways to comply with the findings of the Aarhus Committee. Read the full article by Anaïs Berthier.

What will the new Hungarian law on administrative courts bring for access to justice?

In Hungary, after much protest from the opposition parties in the Parliament, the government’s overwhelming majority voted in favor of a new law that will set up separate courts for adjudicating in administrative matters. Read the full article by Csaba Kiss.

Our Analysis

Cities as the new environmental watchdog in the EU?

The CJEU held that cities have standing to challenge acts of the Commission that affect their regulatory powers, thus allowing Brussels, Paris and Madrid to (successfully) challenge the Commission’s watering down of the Euro 6 emissions standard. Read the full analysis by Sebastian Bechtel.

EU court: national authorities must disapply national rules that are contrary to EU law

In response to a preliminary reference from the Irish Supreme Court, the Court of Justice of the European Union confirmed that national bodies that apply EU law in the exercise of their powers must be able to disapply conflicting provisions of national law. Read the full analysis by Anne Friel.

Project Updates

Access to Justice: Lawyer database

ClientEarth and Justice & Environment have gathered details of legal experts across Europe. Each holds expertise in the field of environmental law. We hope this resource will enable campaigners and concerned citizens alike to start conversations and collaborate, to improve access to justice in environmental matters for all. Click here to see our lawyer database.

ClientEarth organises a seminar on Access to Justice for the Polish Ombudsman’s lawyers

The first seminar of the year on Access to justice will be held on January 29th in Poland for the lawyers working at the Ombudsman’s Office in Warsaw. Read the article for more information.