The North West regional committee is delighted to host this highly topical seminar in Manchester.
Our expert speakers are Dr Ole Pedersen from Newcastle University who will discuss how the European Court of Human Rights might deal with a climate change claim in light of its recent environmental case law and Simon Pook from Robert Lizar Solicitors who will be speaking from a practical perspective about rights to protest about environmental issues.
The impacts of climate change are dominating the news from an international to an individual level more so than ever before. At an international level, there have been devastating fires in Australia and the Amazon; at a national level the UK government has declared a 'climate emergency' and the country is suffering from increased flooding and warm temperatures; and at an individual level people are taking to the streets to protest their concern and distress about environmental issues.
Climate change is also finding its way into the courts with a recent ruling from the Netherlands being quoted as 'the most important climate change court decision in the world so far' and confirming that human rights are jeopardised by the climate emergency and that wealthy nations are legally obligated to achieve rapid and substantial emissions reductions.
The seminar will be chaired by Helen Mitcheson, Solicitor at Trowers & Hamlins LLP and co-convenor of the North West regional group. Please arrive at 5pm for tea/coffee whilst you register. Questions will be taken from the audience once both speakers have made their presentations. Then do stay after the seminar concludes for networking over a drink.
Speaker Biographies
Dr Ole Pedersen is a reader in Environmental Law at the University of Newcastle, where he has been since 2008. Dr Pedersen teaches a range of undergraduate and postgraduate environmental law modules. His research focuses on various aspects of environmental law and energy law (in particular fracking). Dr Pedersen is also a joint author of Environmental Law (9th ed.), a leading text on legal and regulatory matters and joint author of the forthcoming Environmental Adjudication (Hart). He has also published a number of articles regarding the relationship between environmental issues and human rights, amongst other things, and has a keen interest in those issues.
Simon Pook is a solicitor at Robert Lizar Solicitors specialising in all areas of law relating to prisoners' rights, including defending the right to peaceful protest and he often acts as a Legal Observer at political demonstrations. Simon has been heavily involved defending persons facing criminal charges out of anti-fracking and anti-fascist demonstrations across the UK. In 2018 he successfully acted on a pro bono basis to secure the release of three anti-fracking protesters after the Court of Appeal found their sentences “manifestly excessive”.
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