In April 2022, the Irish Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss, comprising 99 randomly selected citizens and an independent chairperson, began its work to examine how Ireland can address the ongoing biodiversity crisis. Lawyers for Nature, in collaboration with Queen’s University Belfast School of Law and the Environmental Justice Network Ireland, provided expert advice on the potential for incorporating the Rights of Nature into Ireland's legal framework.
Lawyers for Nature proposed a 15-point recommendation, summarized as follows:
The Irish Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss published a report with 150 recommendations, one of the most significant being the constitutional recognition of the Rights of Nature. This aligns with the advice provided, marking a pivotal moment in Ireland’s approach to biodiversity conservation. The report emphasizes the urgent need for the State to act swiftly to combat biodiversity loss and stresses that some necessary legal measures have yet to be implemented.
A key highlight from the Assembly’s findings is Recommendation 31, which calls for a referendum on a Constitutional amendment to recognize Nature as a holder of legal rights. This proposal received overwhelming support, with 75% of the Assembly members backing it. The report was hailed as “a call to action” by the Assembly’s chair, Dr. Ní Shúilleabháin, and stresses the need for urgent, transformative legal and societal changes to protect the environment for the benefit of both nature and humanity.
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This week, Dirty Business aired on Channel 4. It tells a story many of us already know deep in our bones: Britain’s rivers are being illegally polluted on an industrial scale, and ordinary people have had to step in where government and institutions have failed.
In April 2022, the Irish Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss (“The Assembly”) held its inaugural meeting in Dublin Castle. Since then, the Assembly, which is made up of 99 randomly-selected members of the public and an independent Chairperson, has been examining how the state can improve its response to biodiversity loss. On completion of its work later this year, the Assembly will make a number of recommendations to the Government in this regard.
