Summary
In a court ruling, the Madras High Court ruled that a Government official, “being the custodian of Government land” (12), was therefore “duty bound to protect the lands” (7), and failed to take effective steps to protect the Government “Forest Poramboke Land” (6). Furthermore, the court invoked “parens patriae jurisdiction” (parent of the nation jurisdiction or the power of the government to act as a guardian for those who cannot care for themselves) in the court ruling and declared ” ‘Mother Nature’ as a ‘Living Being’ having legal entity / legal person / juristic person…status of a legal person, with all corresponding rights, duties and liabilities of a living person”, and directed the State Government and the Central Government the responsibility “to protect the ‘Mother Nature’ and take appropriate steps to protect Mother Nature in all possible ways.” (21)
Related Initiatives
Suggested Citation:
Kauffman, Craig, Catherine Haas, Alex Putzer, Shrishtee Bajpai, Kelsey Leonard, Elizabeth Macpherson, Pamela Martin, Alessandro Pelizzon & Linda Sheehan. Eco Jurisprudence Monitor. V2. 2025. Distributed by the Eco Jurisprudence Monitor.https://ecojurisprudence.org/initiatives/madras-high-court-case-establishing-legal-personhood-to-mother-nature/.
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