An Environmental Court or Tribunal for Scotland: FoES Policy Briefing

Friends of the Earth Scotland (FoES) warmly welcomes the Scottish Government’s commitment to consult on options for an environmental court or tribunal (ECT) in Scotland this year. The creation of an ECT provides the perfect opportunity to take a more holistic approach to compliance with the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters. Building on recent civil court and tribunal system reforms, a new ECT could not only provide better access to justice for citizens concerned with protecting the environment, but a speedier, more cost-effective system, and a more level-playing field for developers and operators.  This briefing draws out key issues and solutions from our new report ‘Litigation over the Environment: an opportunity for change.’