Judges and the Environment: Can Environmental Law Deliver? Judicial Education in Environmental Law

Global environmental protection efforts cannot succeed without the development and enforcement of the rule of law, independent specialized judges and prosecutors, and a robust legal system. The Session showcases three signature initiatives of the World Commission on Environmental Law (WCEL) that seek to build global environmental rule of law capacity: the 2016 World Declaration on the Environmental Rule of Law, the Global Judicial Institute on the Environment (GJIE), and the Global Institute of Prosecutors for the Environment (GIPE). With partners such as UN Environment, the Organization of American States, and the Asian Development Bank, WCEL launched the GJIE and GIPE after the 2016 World Conservation Congress in Hawai’i to provide a platform for judges and prosecutors around the globe to collaborate, exchange expertise, and network. This kind of cooperation is vital to reinforcing environmental rights and strengthening governance around the world.