Symposium on judges and the environment: the impact of the Stockholm declaration in shaping global environmental law and jurisprudence

Associated Event of the
UN Stockholm+50 Conference
31 May – 1 June 2022

In-Person at Radisson Blu Waterfront Hotel, Stockholm Waterfront Congress Centre, Room C1-C2, Stockholm, Sweden and Virtual via Zoom

The two-day Symposium will bring together Supreme Court Justices and senior judges as key actors in the implementation of the Environmental Rule of Law. It will be held in conjunction with the United Nations’ Stockholm+50 Conference commemorating the 50th anniversary of the original United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in 1972.

The Symposium addresses three main themes related to the role of the judiciary in the implementation of the Environmental Rule of Law. First, judges play a critical role in incorporating international environmental law, agreements, and declarations into national and subnational law. This event will provide a forum for high court judges from around the world to reflect on how the Stockholm Declaration has shaped and continues to influence current law and legal thinking. Second, within the context of environmental justice, the event will discuss strengthening judicial independence and integrity as absolute prerequisites of the Environmental Rule of Law. Third, an additional challenge for judiciaries around the world is the question of judicial education in the area of Environmental Law. This symposium will provide a space for Judicial Academies and institutions that conduct educational programs for judges to speak about their experiences and establish opportunities for collaboration that can improve understanding and methods for approaching an increasingly complex area of law.

Through this event, suggestions will be collected for a GJIE Plan, developed by and for judges, for the next decades in order to improve Environmental Rule of Law and establish the role of an independent judiciary in fulfilling environmental law promises and safeguarding recognized environmental rights.

Official Stockholm+50 side event : Symposium on judges and the environment