Environment Law is an ever evolving, developing area of jurisprudence. Initially before the 1950s, when our Constitution was formed, there was no concept of Environmental Protection. It was only in the 1970s, as a nation, our legal system conceptualised and recognised the need of Environment Protection. Thereafter it evolved through several enactments like Water Act, Air Act, Environment Protection Act etc and through several judicial precedents. Later, basic principles like Polluter pays, Precautionary Principle, Inter-Generational Equity all have been read into the Right to Life provided under Article.21 of the Constitution. The evolution of Environment related laws and its practice gets more important when globally we face severe threats such as Climate Change.
About the Speaker :
Practicing lawyer in the High Court of Kerala and National Green Tribunal,
Chennai.