The BC Supreme Court has ordered the BC Government to put in place a plan to protect a herd of critically threatened Boreal Caribou. This precedent-setting decision was the result of a legal challenge brought by the West Moberly First Nations, with the support of the Environmental Dispute Resolution Fund, and is the first time in Canada that Aboriginal Treaty rights have been used to force the government to protect a threatened species.
- Click here to read about this precedent setting decision.
Pop quiz – what does the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA) have to do with Canada’s 2010 budget? Absolutely nothing, but that has not stopped the Canadian government from hiding major revisions to CEAA at the end of this year’s Budget Implementation Act. West Coast says that the move is undemocratic and an attempt to avoid public debate.
- Click here to read our concerns about this alarming development.
Recently released legal analysis from West Coast highlights legal risks posed by Coastal First Nations’ March 23rd declaration banning tar sands crude oil tanker traffic from their territories. In light of the Coastal First Nations declaration, a federal decision to allow crude oil tankers into these waters would infringe First Nations’ constitutionally-protected title and rights, and breach Canada’s international law obligations. Coastal First Nations have signaled that they may take enforcement action, based in their own laws, against companies shipping tar sands oil through their waters on the north and central Pacific coast. This highly volatile legal situation could significantly delay and even derail the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline and tanker project altogether.
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Strong environmental laws don’t just happen, particularly when industry is pressing government to weaken environmental laws. To demand strong environmental laws it’s important to stay informed and to discuss breaking news. You’re reading our Legal e-Brief, and that’s a great first step. But why not have a more active voice in the conversation about emerging environmental legal issues in BC by joining us on Facebook
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We are seeking a lawyer who is passionate about using his or her legal skills to achieve environmental sustainability and social justice. This is an immediate opening for a staff counsel position.
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