Legal Strategy

Co-Chairs: Carol Day (RSPB), Rosie Sutherland (RSPB)
Link: Matt Browne, Advocacy Lead

Update from the Group:

Link’s Legal Strategy Group works with Greener UK and other partners, to ensure the environmental and animal welfare protections afforded by EU legislation are matched or improved once the UK leaves the EU. To that end we continue to scrutinise the raft of statutory instruments passed by Parliament to retain the large body of EU law within the UK statute book after EU exit day. On the Environment Bill, we joined forces with Greener UK (GUK) to draft a combined second reading briefing from which various parliamentarians drew during the second reading debate. The Group also supported the development of our suite of amendments for the Bill, to ensure it delivers on its ambition to be world leading. This briefing work continues, as the Bill goes through Committee stage.

The Legal Strategy Group works with our sister Links to advocate for fit for purpose application of the UK’s obligations under the Aarhus Convention. The Convention establishes several important rights of the public (individuals and their associations) with regard to the environment, including the right to access justice and challenge public decisions on environmental law.

In October, the Group submitted evidence to the panel, led by Lord Faulkes, reviewing Judicial Review.

For further information, contact Matt Browne, Link's Advocacy Lead.

Last updated: 30 November 2020