Nature Conservation
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Next Event
Join us for the annual Introduction to Wildlife Law course during the week 16-20 November 2020. Bookings will open shortly.
recent events & activities
The group held a Working Party session during the online annual conference on Friday 26th June 2020. The recording is on our website here.
Tom Huggon retires after 50 years in nature conservation law
Tom
Huggon retires after being at the forefront of environmental law for 50
years. Tom was a founding member of the Solicitors Ecology Group in the
early 70s which became the Lawyers Ecology Group. This group then
merged into UKELA when it was formed in 1986. UKELA Council awarded Tom
with Honorary Membership at the conference. The NCWP also recognised his
contribution through donations towards Nottingham Wildlife Trust and
their urban wildlife campaign, raising £500 for 33 swift boxes. These
boxes are expected to have a great impact locally for the birds when
they return next year.
Wildlife Law Course
Through the auspices of the UK Environmental Law Association, members of the nature conservation working party have arranged an introductory course on wildlife law for a number of years. The course usually runs in November, kindly hosted by Browne Jacobson at their Nottingham office.
The course is designed for those whose jobs require them to understand the practical impact of the legislation surrounding wildlife. It concentrates on enabling participants to make the best use of the law on the ground and to avoid the pitfalls that accompany such a technical subject as the law.
Wildlife Law Course 2020
Our 2020 course will be held from 16 to 20 November online. Bookings will open shortly.
The cost of the course held over 5 days, is £175.
Wildlife law bursary
The wildlife law course arranged every November under the auspices of UKELA’s nature conservation working party makes a little profit due to the generosity of the tutors and Browne Jacobson solicitors. The working party decided that the profit be used to fund an annual bursary of up to £1,000 to support a post graduate research project addressing wildlife law.
Wildlife Law Bursary Award 2019
The winner of the 2019 bursary was Shehana Gomez.
The successful candidate will produce a paper and be required to give a presentation on the project and the conclusions reached at a meeting of the nature conservation working party, either at the UKELA annual conference or in September 2020. The paper will be published in the UKELA journal elaw.
Previous Wildlife Law Bursary Awards
2018: Jessica Allan "The Legal and Cultural Implications of De-extinction and Species Return "
2016: Joanna Miller Smallwood “The Convention on Biological Diversity’s objectives include conservation of biological diversity at a global level but has it become another victim of extinction as a result of its text and strategic plan?”
Terms of Reference
The scope of the Working Party is to consider issues for and affecting nature conservation. Input to landscape related issues may also be appropriate.
This Working Party’s terms of reference are to:
monitor and provide comments / observations on proposed legislation and policies;
monitor the implementation of existing legislation and policies;
seek to influence relevant legislation and policies as and when opportunities arise;
work with and support the devolved administrations working parties on issues for and affecting nature conservation / landscape;
to better seek engagement with the devolved Countries on the increasingly diverse nature conservation/landscape legislative frameworks
work with and support other working parties as and when necessary; and
arrange a wildlife law training course for members and non-members annually.
The Working Party is led by two co-convenors, currently Pip Goodwin and Eunice Pinn. We also have a Chair, currently Richard Barlow of Browne Jacobson.
The Working Party meets four times a year. Two meetings are held in Nottingham, one in London and the fourth at the conference.
The Working Party has around 40 members working in different fields concerned with nature conservation. Participants include individuals from statutory agencies and non-governmental organisations, environmental and planning consultants, lawyers in private and public sector practice and academics. Only UKELA members are eligible to join the Working Party although guests are welcome at meetings.
If you would like to join the Working Party, please contact the Co-Convenors Pip Goodwin and Eunice Pinn.
Manual of Nature Conservation Law
Members of the group published in March 2008 the 2nd edition of A Manual of Nature Conservation Law, edited by Michael Fry. The book has been published by a specially set up publishing company, NCWG Ltd.
Consultation Responses