River as a Legal Person

• Authors: Jerzy Bieluk
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

The concepts of recognizing elements of nature as having legal personality have been appearing for many years as proposals for a new approach to ecology. Recent years have brought specific solutions in this regard. Attempts to recognize rivers (but not only rivers) as separate legal entities can be found in various places around the world. This is not a common trend, only a few such cases can be identified in the applicable legislation. The article is devoted to the analysis of the best-known examples of this type of activity. In 2017, the legal system of New Zealand recognized the Whanganui River as a legal person. Talks are ongoing about further solutions of this kind. Apart from environmental protection reasons, the basic motives for this type of solution are cultural considerations – connected with Maori beliefs and values. In the legal systems of India and Colombia, the courts have attempted to recognize the rivers (Ganges and Yamuna in India, the Atrata River, and the entire Amazon ecosystem) as legal persons. The motives for this type of activity were primarily ecological – protecting priceless parts of nature from destruction.

PL

Koncepcje uznania elementów natury za mające osobowość prawną pojawiają się od wielu lat jako propozycje nowego podejścia do ekologii. Ostatnie lata przyniosły w tym zakresie konkretne rozwiązania. W różnych miejscach na świecie spotkać można próby uznania rzek (ale nie tylko) za odrębne podmioty prawa. Nie jest to powszechna tendencja, tylko kilka takich przypadków można zidentyfikować w obowiązujących ustawodawstwach. Artykuł poświęcono analizie najbardziej znanych przykładów tego rodzaju działań. W systemie prawnym Nowej Zelandii uznano w 2017 r. rzekę Whanganui za osobę prawną. Toczą się rozmowy na temat dalszych tego rodzaju rozwiązań. Podstawowym motywem takich rozwiązań, oprócz względów ochrony środowiska, są względy kulturowe – związane z systemem wierzeń i wartości Maorysów. W systemach prawnych Indii i Kolumbii sądy podjęły próby uznania rzek (Gangesu i Yamuny w Indiach, rzeki Atrata oraz całego ekosystemu Amazonki) za osoby prawne. Motywy tego rodzaju działań były przede wszystkim ekologiczne – ochrona bezcennych części przyrody przed zniszczeniem.

Keywords

EN

environmental protection; legal personality; river as a legal person; ecology

PL

ochrona środowiska; osobowość prawna; rzeka jako osoba prawna; ekologia

• Publisher: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Marii Curie-Skłodowskiej
• Journal: Studia Iuridica Lublinensia
• Year: 2020
• Volume: 29
• Issue: 2

Dates

published

2020

online

2020-06-21

Contributors

author

Jerzy Bieluk

References

• LITERATURE
• Alley K.D., Mehta T., The experiment with rights of nature in India, [in:] Sustainability and the Rights of Nature in Practise, eds. C. La Follette, C. Maser, Boca Raton 2019.
• Babcock H.M., A Brook with Legal Rights: The Rights of Nature in Court, “Ecology Law Quarterly” 2016, Vol. 43(1).
• Berros M.V., Defending Rivers: Vicamaba in the South of Ecuador, “Perspectives Issue” 2017, No. 6.
• Cano Pecharroman L., Rights of Nature: Rivers That Can Stand in Court, “Resources” 2018, Vol. 7(13), DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/resources7010013.
• Clark C., Emmanouil N., Page J., Pelizzon A., Can You Hear the Rivers Sing? Legal Personhood, Ontology, and the Nitty, Gritty of Governance, “Ecology Law Quarterly” 2018, Vol. 45.
• Colwell R., Carr-Wilson S., Sandborn C., Legal Personality of Natural Features: Recent International Developments and Applicability in Canada, 2017, www.elc.uvic.ca/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/2017-02-03-LegalPersonalityNatural-Features_web-version.pdf [access: 5.11.2019].
• De Vries-Stotijn A., Van Ham I., Bastmeijer K., Protection through property: from private to river-held rights, “Water International” 2019, Vol. 44(6–7), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02508060.2019.1641882.
• Frąckowiak J., Osoby prawne, [in:] System Prawa Prywatnego, t. 1: Prawo cywilne – część ogólna, red. M. Safjan, Warszawa 2007.
• Hsiao E.C., Whanganui River Agreement – Indigenous Rights and Rights of Nature, “Environmental Policy and Law” 2012, Vol. 42(6).
• India’s Ganges and Yamuna rivers are ‘not living entities’, www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-40537701 [access: 5.11.2019].
• Iorns Magallanes C.J., Nature as an Ancestor: Two Examples of Legal Personality for Nature in New Zealand, „VertigO – la revue electronique en sciences de l’environnement” 2015, serie 22, DOI: https://doi.org/10.4000/vertigo.16199.
• Jaśtal J., Czy rzeka może być osobą prawną, „Filozofuj” 2018, nr 3.
• Joseph R., Rakena M., Kuini Jones M.T., Sterling R., Rakena C., The Treaty, Tikanga Māori, Ecosystem-Based Management, Mainstream Law and Power Sharing for Environmental Integrity in Aotearoa New Zealand – Possible Ways Forward, Waikato 2019, https://sustainableseaschallenge.co.nz/sites/default/files/2019-02/MAIN%20TuhonohonoSSeas%20Final%20Report%20Nov%202019.pdf [access: 5.11.2019].
• Kauffman C.M., Martin P.L., When Rivers Have Rights: Case Comparisons of New Zealand, Colombia, and India, International Studies Association Annual Conference, San Francisco, 4 April 2018, http://files.harmonywithnatureun.org/uploads/upload585.pdf [access: 5.11.2019].
• O’Donnell E.L., At the Intersection of the Sacred and the Legal: Rights for Nature in Uttarakhand, India, “Journal of Environmental Law” 2018, Vol. 30(1), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jel/eqx026.
• O’Donnell E.L., Maloney M., Parker C., New developments in the legal status of rivers, 11 August 2017, https://law.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/2516479/Legal-rights-for-rivers-Workshop-Report.pdf [access: 5.11.2019].
• O’Donnell E.L., Talbot-Jones J., Creating legal rights for rivers: Lessons from Australia, New Zealand, and India, “Ecology and Society” 2018, Vol. 23(1), DOI: https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-09854-230107.
• Press Release: Colombia Constitutional Court Finds Atrato River Possesses Rights, May 4, 2017, https://celdf.org/2017/05/press-release-colombia-constitutional-court-finds-atrato-river-possesses-rights [access: 5.11.2019].
• Rient R., Rzeka, którą zabijamy, „Przekrój” 2019, https://przekroj.pl/spoleczenstwo/rzeka-ktora-zabijamy-robert-rien [access: 5.11.2019].
• Stone Ch.D., Should Trees Have Standing? Law, Morality and the Environment, Oxford 2010.
• Stone Ch.D., Should Trees Have Standing? – Towards Legal Rights for Natural Objects, “Southern California Law Review” 1972, Vol. 45.
• Summary of the historical background to the Whanganui River claims of Whanganui Iwi, www.govt.nz/treaty-settlement-documents/whanganui-iwi/whanganui-iwi-whanganui-river-deed-of-settlement-summary-5-aug-2014/background [access: 5.11.2019].
• Torres J., Macpherson E., The Tour to Save the World: Colombia Wins the Yellow Jersey for the Rights of Nature, 23 August 2019, www.iconnectblog.com/2019/08/the-tour-to-save-the-world-colombia-wins-the-yellow-jersey-for-the-rights-of-nature [access: 5.11.2019].
• Young D., Whanganui tribes, https://teara.govt.nz/en/whanganui-tribes/page-1 [access: 5.11.2019].
• LEGAL ACTS
• Deed of Settlement between The Crown and Tuhoe, 4 June 2013, Summary, www.govt.nz/treaty-settlement-documents/ngai-tuhoe/ngai-tuhoe-deed-of-settlement-summary-4-jun-2013/background [access: 5.11.2019].
• Ngā Iwi o Taranaki and The Crown, Te Anga Pgtakerongo mo Nga Maunga o Taranaki, Pouakai me Kaitake, Record of understanding for Mount Taranaki, Pouakai and the Kaitake Ranges, www.govt.nz/dmsdocument/7265~Te-Anga-Putakerongo-Record-of-Understanding-20-December-2017.pdf [access: 5.11.2019].
• Te Awa Tupua (Whanganui River Claims Settlement) Act 2017, www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2017/0007/latest/whole.html#DLM6831461 [access: 5.11.2019]
• Tūhoe Claims Settlement Act 2014, www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2014/0050/latest/DLM5481230.html [access: 5.11.2019].
• Whanganui Iwi and the Crown, “Record of understanding in relation to Whanganui River settlement”, October 13, 2011, www.ngatangatatiaki.co.nz/assets/Uploads/Important-Documents/DocumentLibrary_WhanganuiRiverROU.pdf [access: 5.11.2019].
• CASE LAW
• Judgement of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Colombia of 5 April 2018, http://cr00.epimg.net/descargables/2017/05/02/14037e7b5712106cd88b687525dfeb4b.pdf [access: 5.11.2019].
• Judgement of the High Court of Uttarakhand at Naintal Writ Petition (PIL) of of 5 December 2016, case No. 126 of 2014, Mohd Salim vs State of Uttarakhand & others, www.casemine.com/judgement/in/5b1a21874a932631a5a08d3f [access: 5.11.2019].
• Judgement of the High Court of Uttarakhand of 30 March 2017, Lalit Miglani vs State of Uttarakhand and others, https://indiankanoon.org/doc/92201770 [access: 5.11.2019].
• Judgement of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Republic of Colombia of April 5 2018, http://legal.legis.com.co/document/Index?obra=jurcol&document=jurcol_c947ae53aeb447bd91e8e9a315311ac5 [access: 5.11.2019].

Identifiers

DOI

10.17951/sil.2020.29.2.11-23