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ARTICLE · 03 APRIL 2019

Landmark Legal Challenge Against Irish Government On Climate Change

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The Irish Government's alleged failure to mitigate climate change is the subject of a legal challenge taken by Friends of the Irish Environment CLG (FIE) ...

IrelandEnvironment
Rhoda Jennings
Rhoda Jennings
Helena Murphy
Helena Murphy
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Landmark Legal Challenge

The Irish Government's alleged failure to mitigate climate change is the subject of a legal challenge taken by Friends of the Irish Environment CLG (FIE) against the Irish Government.1 The judicial review proceedings were heard before the High Court in January 2019. This is the first time a case of this nature has come before the Irish courts and its outcome may have far-reaching legal and political consequences. The written judgement will be delivered at a later date and this post sets out the arguments advanced by both parties.

The case is one which has garnered widespread media coverage and intense public interest.2 FIE argued before a packed courtroom that the 2017 National Mitigation Plan (the 'Plan') does not adequately provide for the necessary decarbonisation of Ireland's economy and therefore breaches the Climate Change and Low Carbon Development Act 2015 (the '2015 Act').[3 Furthermore, human rights of Irish citizens

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