Climate Litigation
The Cambridge Handbook on Climate Litigation
Edited by Margaretha Wewerinke-Singh, University of Amsterdam, & Sarah Mead, Climate Litigation Network (CLN)
Christina Eckes and her co-authors, Joana Setzer and Jasmina Nedevska, have written a chapter on Separation of Powers in the newly published, ‘The Cambridge Handbook on Climate Litigation’. This open access Handbook offers an authoritative guide to the evolving field of climate litigation, highlighting replicable legal strategies and emerging best practices across jurisdictions.
With over 2,500 climate-related cases filed worldwide, climate litigation is rapidly evolving but lacks a comprehensive resource for guiding judicial approaches. This book fills this void, offering an authoritative guide to climate litigation’s complex landscape.
Summary
Chapter 6 on Separation of Powers offers a comprehensive exploration of how the balance of power between the judiciary and other branches of government plays out in climate litigation. The authors critically analyse key cases where these doctrines have been invoked, shedding light on how these doctrines shape the courts’ approach to climate cases. They underscore the significant variation in how this issue is dealt with across jurisdictions, acknowledging the diversity of constitutional and legal frameworks globally. Despite this diversity, the authors distil an emerging best practice where courts are increasingly recognising their crucial role in safeguarding fundamental rights and constitutional values in the context of climate change. This recognition is not a one-directional or universal trend but a nuanced evolution detectable across various jurisdictions and legal systems.
