Toolkit

This page allows you to access the original legal documents and other information associated with initiatives in the Eco Jurisprudence Tracker. You may filter your search based on the parameters and search bar below. To access the legal documents, click the “Read More” button for an initiative and scroll to the bottom of the initiative summary.

City of Everett, Washington (USA) municipal law on the rights of the Snohomish River

Country:United States of America

Status:Approved in 2024

In November 2024, voters in Everett, Washington approved a ballot initiative that grants the Snohomish River legal rights to “exist, regenerate, and flourish”.Read More →

Vanuatu, Fiji, and Samoa proposed amendment to the Rome Statute to include a Crime of Ecocide

Country:International

Status:Submitted in 2024

September 9, 2024, Vanuatu, Fiji and Samoa formally submitted a proposed amendment to the Rome Statute to include a crime of “ecocide”.Read More →

Democratic Republic of Congo declaration of an international crime of ecocide

Country:Democratic Republic of the Congo

Status:Approved in 2024

October 31, 2024, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) publicly declared its support for establishing ecocide as an international crime.Read More →

Switzerland court case on the rights of wolves

Country:Switzerland

Status:On Appeal in 2024

In 2024, a Swiss citizen filed an appeal against a hunting permit for wolves, claiming the wolves have a right to judicial procedures in their own right.Read More →

Switzerland Supreme Court Case on voting rights of minor children and wild bees

Country:Switzerland

Status:On Appeal in 2024

On October 2, 2024, the Government of Zurich, Switzerland rejected a plea arguing that minor children and wild bees should be holders of voting rights.Read More →

Peru constitutional court case recognizing the rights of the wild Andean Fox “Run Run”

Country:Peru

Status:Approved in 2024

In June 2024, Peru's Constitutional Court granted rights to a wild Andean fox, and ruled that the state must respect the rights of nature, including animals.Read More →

German District Court ruling recognizing Rights of Nature via the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union

Country:Germany

Status:Approved in 2024

In August 2024, the District Court of Erfurt in Germany set a legal precedent by recognizing the rights of nature in a court ruling.Read More →

Municipality of Groningen, Netherlands Initiative Proposal for Rights of Nature

Country:Netherlands

Status:Submitted in 2024

In September 2024, an initiative proposal was presented to investigate in the Municipality of Groningen, Netherlands whether nature can be granted rights.Read More →

Rappahannock Tribal Constitution recognizing the rights of the Rappahannock River

Country:United States of America

Status:Approved in 2024

On October 2024, the Rappahannock Tribe in Virginia became the first tribal nation in the U.S. to adopt a Tribal Constitution recognizing the rights of nature.Read More →

First Nations and Tribes Grizzly Bear Treaty

Country:International

Status:Approved in 2016

In September 2016, First Nations and Tribes across North America signed a cross-boarder Indigenous Treaty to protect the sacred Grizzly Bear.Read More →

Colombia court case on rights of jaguars, macaws, and tropical dry forest

Country:Colombia

Status:Submitted in 2024

In July 2024, a lawsuit was filed in Colombian court to recognize the rights of jaguars, macaws, and the nation’s tropical dry forest.Read More →

Colombia law on the rights of the Rancheria River

Country:Colombia

Status:Approved in 2024

On August 8, 2024, the Congress of Colombia passed a law declaring the Rancheria River a subject of rights.Read More →

Nigeria River Ethiope Rights Act

Country:Nigeria

Status:Submitted in 2024

In 2019, the Earth Law Center and River Ethiope Trust created the River Ethiope Rights Act – a draft law to grant legal rights for the River Ethiope in Nigeria.Read More →

Black Mountain U.S. Town Ordinance for Rights of the Swannanoa River

Country:United States of America

Status:Drafted in 2024

In 2024, residents of Black Mountain, North Carolina drafted a proposed amendment to the Town Charter to recognize the rights of the Swannanoa River.Read More →

Brazil proposed constitutional amendment on the Rights of Nature

Country:Brazil

Status:Submitted in 2024

On June 4, 2024, a proposed amendment to the Brazilian Federal Constitution (PEC) was submitted to the National Congress to recognize the Rights of Nature.Read More →

Local Rights of Nature Tribunal: Yesah 2024

Country:International

Status:Approved in 2024

In June 2024, the International Rights of Nature Tribunal held its 12th local hearing, the Yesah Tribunal brought against the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP).Read More →

Ecuador court case on the rights of the Machangara river

Country:Ecuador

Status:Approved in 2024

In July 2024, a court in Quito, Ecuador ruled that the Machángara River is a subject of rights and the municipality of Quito has breeched said rights.Read More →

Municipality of Linhares (Brazil) Law on the Rights of the Waves

Country:Brazil

Status:Approved in 2024

In June 2024, the municipal council of Linhares in Brazil approved a bill that recognizes the waves at the mouth of the Doce River as entities with rights.Read More →

Municipality of Goiás (Brazil) law on the rights of the Vermelho River

Country:Brazil

Status:Approved in 2024

On June 13, 2024, the Goiás City Council in Brazil unanimously approved a bill granting legal rights to the Vermelho River in Brazil.Read More →

Finland Citizens Initiative Constitutional Proposal on Animal Rights

Country:Finland

Status:Submitted in 2023

December 2023, a citizen's initiative was submitted to the Finnish parliament that proposes adding animal rights to Finlands constitution alongside human rightsRead More →

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