Marissa Zupancic is JURIST’s Washington DC Correspondent, a JURIST Senior Editor and a 3L at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. She’s stationed in Washington during her Semester in DC. Today I attended oral arguments at the US Supreme Court for Food and Drug Administration v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine. The case concerns whether the [...]
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IACHR orders Peru to compensate victims of lead poisoning living near mine
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) conducted the notification of the judgment in the case of Residents of La Oroya v. Peru this Friday, addressing the Peruvian State’s responsibility for the damage suffered by 80 residents of La Oroya and ordered the payment of compensation to the victims for the damage incurred. In December [...]
Bob Rae, Canada’s Ambassador to the United Nations, does not shy away from tough questions. Though many in a position such as his might shy away from argument, Rae seems to relish the opportunity to engage in some intellectual sparring. It was in this context that I requested an interview as Canada grapples with multiple [...]
UN expert calls for European nations to stop repression of climate protesters
The UN Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders issued a position paper Wednesday urging European nations to stop the state repression of environmental protest and to live up to their obligations under the Paris Agreement to cut global warming. In the paper, Michel Forst stated that the “repression that environmental activists who use peaceful civil disobedience [...]
A group of Canadian citizens launched a legal challenge against the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) on Thursday over the commission’s recent approval of the construction of a Near Surface Disposal Facility (NSDF) near the Ottawa River. Led by the Concerned Citizens of Renfrew County and Area, Ralliement contre la pollution radioactive, and the Canadian Coalition [...]
UN expert condemns 'severe crackdowns' on environmental protestors in UK
UN expert Michel Forst published a letter Tuesday detailing his concerns on the treatment of environmental protestors in the UK. Forst condemned the “severe crackdowns” on environmental protestors, including the prison sentences issued, the bail conditions and the restrictions on peaceful protests. Forst is the first UN Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders under the Aarhus [...]
Coalition of US states sues EPA over rule tightening deadline for Clean Air Act implementation plans
A coalition of 25 US states sued the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Friday over a final rule entitled “Adoption and Submittal of State Plans for Designated Facilities: Implementing Regulations Under Clean Air Act Section 111(d),” arguing that the EPA did not have the authority to institute the new rule. The case is in the US [...]
US Supreme Court hears oral arguments in 2 cases seeking to limit executive agency powers
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Wednesday in two cases involving a requirement for herring fisheries to pay for the observers the government used to monitor overfishing. At the heart of the two cases was a debate over the court’s current deference to executive branch agencies in interpreting ambiguous language in federal laws. The [...]
Nigeria Supreme Court allows Shell a hearing in oil spill case
The Nigeria Supreme Court on Friday ruled that Shell should be granted a hearing over its alleged involvement in an oil spill in the Niger Delta, as per news sources. This overturns the judgment of the Court of Appeal that halted the company’s sale and ordered payment of a judgment claim before hearing its appeal. [...]
Tokyo High Court holds Japan government not liable for Fukushima nuclear disaster
Tokyo’s High Court found the government of Japan not liable Tuesday for damages related to the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster and associated mass evacuations, leaving responsibility solely with plant operator the Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO). The ruling also reduced the damages amounts of a previous court order from $414,400 to $165,000 for 44 of [...]