Abstract
With the growth of the ecocentric approach to protecting non-human natural entities and the increase in the number of countries granting legal personhood to non-human natural entities in different parts of the world, it is worth questioning whether this approach can be extended to Africa and shift the African approach of protecting non-human natural entities from anthropocentric to ecocentric. Therefore, this chapter applies a doctrinal research method, with the use of primary and secondary sources of materials to analyze the current African approaches to protecting non-human natural entities. This is juxtaposed with the existing approach of granting legal personhood to non-human natural entities and helps to determine how viable this concept will be in Africa.
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Notes
- 1.
Thomas Berry ‘Great Work’ (2000) 4 National Catholic Reporter 38. http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy3.lib.le.ac.uk/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA59450120&v=2.1&u=leicester&it=r&p=EAIM&sw=w Accessed 23 May 2019.
- 2.
Helen Kopnina “Anthropocentrism, more than just a misunderstood Problem (2018) 31(1) Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics. 109, 109–127.
- 3.
Peter H Sand “The History and Evolution of International Environmental Law” (2015) Edward Elgar Publishing Limited xii, 1–889.
- 4.
United Nations Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment (UNCHE).
- 5.
United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro.
- 6.
Ibid 3.
- 7.
Ibid 3.
- 8.
Ibid 3.
- 9.
Rebecca Romano ‘Can Nature be Entitled to Constitutional Rights? A Historical Overview and the Innovative Approach of Bolivia and Ecuador’ (2017/2018) Comparative Constitutionalism.
- 10.
Helen Kopina, Hadyn Washington, Paul Cryer, Bron Raymond Taylor, John J Piccolo, “Why Ecocentrism is the Key Pathway to Sustainability’ (2017) The Ecological Citizen 35–41.
- 11.
Peter Burdon ‘The Great Jurisprudence’ (2011) 14 Southern Cross University Law Review http://dequinceyco.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Burdon_SCU-article_2011.pdf Accessed on 17th May 2019.
- 12.
Ibid.
- 13.
Helen Kopnina, Hadyn Washington, Paul Cryer, Bron Raymond Taylor, John J Piccolo, “Why Ecocentrism is the Key Pathway to Sustainability’ (2017) The Ecological Citizen 35, 39.
- 14.
Helen Kopnina, Hadyn Washington, Paul Cryer, Bron Raymond Taylor, John J Piccolo, “Why Ecocentrism is the Key Pathway to Sustainability’ (2017) The Ecological Citizen 35, 39
- 15.
Helen Kopnina, Hadyn Washington, Paul Cryer, Bron Raymond Taylor, John J Piccolo, “Why Ecocentrism is the Key Pathway to Sustainability’ (2017) The Ecological Citizen 35, 39.
- 16.
Ibid 39.
- 17.
Ibid.
- 18.
Ibid.
- 19.
Carl Bruch, Wole Coker, and Chris VanArsdale ‘Breathing Life into Fundamental Principles: Implementing Constitutional Environmental Protections in Africa” (2001) in Environmental Governance in Africa Working Paper Series. Edited by Jesse C, Ribot Peter and G Veit.13, 1–49.
- 20.
Ibid 14.
- 21.
Louis J. Kotze “The South African Environment and the 1996 Constitution: Some Reflections on a Decade of Democracy and Constitutional Protection of the Environment” (2007) Direitos Fundamentais & Justica N 1- Out. 37, 36–57.
- 22.
Louis J. Kotze and Anel du Plessis ‘Some Brief Observations on Fifteen Years of Environmental Rights Jurisprudence in South Africa’ (2010) 3(1) Journal of Court Innovation, 157–159, 157–176. See Section 24, Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996.
- 23.
Louis J. Kotze and Anel du Plessis ‘Some Brief Observations on Fifteen Years of Environmental Rights Jurisprudence in South Africa’ (2010) 3(1) Journal of Court Innovation, 157–159, 157–176.
- 24.
Ibid 14.
- 25.
Carl Bruch, Wole Coker, and Chris VanArsdale ‘Breathing Life into Fundamental Principles: Implementing Constitutional Environmental Protections in Africa” (2001) in Environmental Governance in Africa Working Paper Series. Edited by Jesse C, Ribot Peter and G Veit 15, 1–49.
- 26.
Louis J. Kotze “The South African Environment and the 1996 Constitution: Some Reflections on a Decade of Democracy and Constitutional Protection of the Environment” (2007) Direitos Fundamentais & Justica N 1- Out. 38, 36–57.
- 27.
Carl Bruch, Wole Coker, and Chris VanArsdale ‘Breathing Life into Fundamental Principles: Implementing Constitutional Environmental Protections in Africa” (2001) in Environmental Governance in Africa Working Paper Series. Edited by Jesse C, Ribot Peter and G Veit.13, 1–49
- 28.
Ibid 14.
- 29.
Ibid 14.
- 30.
Ibid 14.
- 31.
Quran 6: 38.
- 32.
Genesis 1: 26–28.
- 33.
Kirui Kiprono Calvin ‘Environmental Rights in Kenya’ Unpublished work found in academia.
- 34.
Ibid.
- 35.
Christopher D Stone “Should Trees have Standing? - Towards Legal Rights for Natural Objects” (1972) 45 South California Law Review, 450–501.
- 36.
Ibid.
- 37.
Ibid.
- 38.
Ibid.
- 39.
Ibid.
- 40.
Tamaqua Borough was the first US municipality that recognized the environment’s legal rights in order to protect Pennsylvania’s coal region from coal sludge pollution in 2006. As a result, Pittsburgh and several other communities have implemented same decrees. See SECTION 7.6. Tamaqua Borough Ordinance 2006 612.
- 41.
See Section 30–156.7 Ordinance to Amend the Town Code of Halifax, Virginia adding “Article VII. Corporate Mining and Chemical Radioactive Trespass” under “Chapter 50 Environment”.
- 42.
Mahanoy Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania Ordinance 2008, S7 (14).
- 43.
Nottingham Water Rights and Self Government Ordinance, 2018, S. 5(1).
- 44.
Constitution of the Republic of Ecuador, 2008, Articles 71–74. See also Conway M. ‘The Colorado River Has Its Own Lawyer Now’ http://www.nonprofitquarterly.org Accessed on 19 October 2019.
- 45.
“Bolivia’s Leadership: Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature” http://therightsofnature.org Accessed on 17 February 2018.
- 46.
Rebecca Romano ‘Can Nature be Entitled to Constitutional Rights? A Historical Overview and the Innovative Approach of Bolivia and Ecuador’ (2017/2018) Comparative Constitutionalism, 1, 5.
- 47.
Licking Township Ordinance; Section 7, Packer Carbon County, Pennsylvania Ordinance, S 3(6).
- 48.
Packer Carbon County, Pennsylvania Ordinance; S 7.
- 49.
Town of Wales, New York, Local Law 201, S(4).
- 50.
Chapter 618.0 2 3 Ordinance supplementing the Pittsburgh Code Legislation Text, City of Pittsburgh.
- 51.
Borough of Baldwin, Ordinance 2011, S 3(6).
- 52.
Borough of Forest Hills Ordinance 2011, S 3.
- 53.
Borough of Homestead, Pennsylvania Ordinance 2011, S 3.
- 54.
State College Borough Bill of Rights Ordinance 2011, S 4.
- 55.
Town of Mountain Lake Park, Ordinance 2011, S 2.
- 56.
Village of Yellow Sprigs, Ohio Ordinance 2012, S3.
- 57.
City of Broadview Heights, Ohio Ordinance 2012, S 1.
- 58.
State of New Mexico, County Ordinance, 2013, S 4(3).
- 59.
Chapter 4.74, Santa Monica, California Ordinance 2921.
- 60.
Whanganui River was also granted personhood rights in 2017 by the Te Awa Tupua Whanganui River Claims Settlement Bill. The river is recognized as one which has all the duties, liabilities and rights of a legal person.
- 61.
Colorado river is also about to join the league of nature with legal personhood: an environmental group in the United States of America sued on behalf of Colorado river for personhood. See Borg J., ‘Colorado River ‘Sues’ for Personhood’ http://www.mbcpathway.com accessed on 19 October 2017.
- 62.
Town of Crestone Colorado Resolution No. 006, 2018.
- 63.
The agreement “represents the commitment of Whanganui Iwi and the Crown to progress the development of agreed Te Awa Tupua arrangements as part of the settlement of the historical Treaty of Waitangui Claims of Whanganui Iwi in respect of the Whanganui River”. Whanganui refers to the river as a whole, its spiritual and physical dimensions and their unity.
- 64.
It is believed that the Maori people equal themselves to mountains, rivers and seas, and therefore believe they have equal rights with the river.
- 65.
Te Urewera Act, 2014, S,11(1) http://legislation.govt.nz Accessed 9th November, 2018. A Te Urewera Board was actually established for the governance and management of Te Urewera, and to act on behalf of, and in the name of, Te Urewera.
- 66.
Te Awa Tupua (Whanganui River Claims Settlement) Act 2017, S 14.
- 67.
Thomas Berry ‘Great Work’ (2000)4 National Catholic Reporter 38. http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy3.lib.le.ac.uk/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA59450120&v=2.1&u=leicester&it=r&p=EAIM&sw=w Accessed 23 May 2019.
- 68.
Ibid.
- 69.
Peter Burdon ‘The Rights of Nature: Reconsidered’ (2010) University of Adelaide Law School Research Paper 4, 69–89 http://ssrn.com/abstract=1709015 Accessed on 17th May 2019.
- 70.
Ibid.
- 71.
Ibid.
- 72.
Ibid.
- 73.
Louis J. Kotze “The South African Environment and the 1996 Constitution. Some Reflections on a Decade of Democracy and Constitutional Protection of the Environment” (2007) Direitos Fundamentais & Justica N 1- Out. 36, 57.
References
Berry Thomas ‘Great Work’ (2000) 4 National Catholic Reporter 38. http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy3.lib.le.ac.uk/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA59450120&v=2.1&u=leicester&it=r&p=EAIM&sw=w Accessed 23 May 2019.
Bruch Carl & others, ‘Breathing Life into Fundamental Principles: Implementing Constitutional Environmental Protections in Africa” (2001) in Environmental Governance in Africa Working Paper Series. Edited by Jesse C, Ribot Peter and G Veit 1–49
Burdon Peter ‘The Great Jurisprudence’ (2011) 14 Southern Cross University Law Review http://dequinceyco.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Burdon_SCU-article_2011.pdf Accessed on 17th May 2019
Burdon Peter, ‘The Rights of Nature: Reconsidered’ (2010) University of Adelaide Law School Research Paper 4, 69–89 http://ssrn.com/abstract=1709015 Accessed on 17th May 2019
Kopnina Helen “Anthropocentrism, more than just a misunderstood Problem (2018) 31(1) Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics, 109–127
Kopnina Helen & others “Why Ecocentrism is the Key Pathway to Sustainability’ (2017) The Ecological Citizen 35–41
Kotze J. Louis “The South African Environment and the 1996 Constitution: Some Reflections on a Decade of Democracy and Constitutional Protection of the Environment” (2007) Direitos Fundamentais & Justica N 1- Out, 36–57
Kotze Louis and Du Plessis Anel ‘Some Brief Observations on Fifteen Years of Environmental Rights Jurisprudence in South Africa’ (2010) 3(1) Journal of Court Innovation, 157–176.
Romano Rebecca ‘Can Nature be Entitled to Constitutional Rights? A Historical Overview and the Innovative Approach of Bolivia and Ecuador’ (2017/2018) Comparative Constitutionalism
Sand H Peter “The History and Evolution of International Environmental Law” (2015) Edward Elgar Publishing Limited xii, 1–889
Stone D Christopher “Should Trees have Standing? – Towards Legal Rights for Natural Objects” (1972) 45 South California Law Review, 450–501
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Wuraola, O.T. (2020). The Legal Rights of Natural Entities: African Approaches to the Recognition of Rights of Nature. In: Addaney, M., Oluborode Jegede, A. (eds) Human Rights and the Environment under African Union Law. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-46523-0_6
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