Legal Strategy

Co-Chair:  Rosie Sutherland (RSPB)

Co-Chair: Carol Day (RSPB)

Link: Niall Watson (Senior Policy Officer)

Update from the Group:

The Legal Strategy Group advocates 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 preparation for the Aarhus Meeting of Parties (MOP) in November, Environment Links has prepared two Statements to the MOP on Costs Protection and on Environmental Defenders and will be co-hosting a side event on Environmental Defenders. Environment Links UK and the Environmental Rights Centre Scotland had earlier in the year prepared a response to the UK's draft National Implementation Report to the MOP.

Link also responded to worrying rhetoric coming from both government and media suggesting the public’s access to environmental justice – specifically protected by the Aarhus Convention – should be restricted and sent a letter to the Prime Minister seeking reassurance that the Government remains steadfast in defending access to environmental justice and that the UK approaches the MOP as a committed and compliant signatory.

Working with FOE and the Environmental Rights Centre Scotland,
Link has also helped secure 60 NGO sign-ons to a letter written to UK
government ministers ahead of a major meeting of the Council of Europe, urging them to back proposals for an additional binding Protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) that would finally recognise the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment.

The group is also working on proposals for an Environmental Rights Bill. The draft Bill can be found here. For more information, see blog outlining the call to action on environmental rights here. 

For further information, please contact Niall Watson, Link's Senior Policy Officer for the Legal Strategy Group: niall@wcl.org.uk 

Last updated: November 2025