Kerala High Court of India case seeking legal personhood for Bharathapuzha river
In 2022, a petition was filed in the Kerala High Court of India seeking to declare the Bharathapuzha river as a 'legal entity' with a right to flow and liveRead More →
Asia
This page identifies ecological jurisprudence initiatives that exist in Asia. For the purposes of delineating boundaries, we define Asia to include the countries in the Middle East, Central Asia, South Asia, East Asia, and Russia.
Madras High Court ruling recognizing legal personhood to “Mother Nature”
The Madras High Court ruled that “Mother Nature” has the same legal status as a human being, including “all corresponding rights, duties and liabilities".Read More →
Chennai India Rights of Nature Case
In 2022, the Madras High Court declared “Mother Nature” as being a living being and having the same status as a legal person.Read More →
Uzbekistan 1994 Criminal Code Mentioning Ecocide
In 2003, Uzbekistan overturned an article incorporating ecocide into its 1996 criminal codes.Read More →
India Sukhna Lake Case
The court declared in 2020 that Sukhna Lake has a "distinct persona with corresponding rights, duties, and liabilities of a living person."Read More →
Pakistan Islamabad Wildlife Management Board v. Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad
In 2020, a justice in the Islamabad High Court in Pakistan ruled animals have legal rights in a case regarding the cruel treatment of zoo animals.Read More →
Pakistan D. G. Khan Cement Company Ltd. v. Government of Punjab
In 2021, the Supreme Court of Pakistan banned the construction of cement plants in environmentally vulnerable areas.Read More →
Vietnam 1999 Criminal Code Mentioning Ecocide
Vietnam overturned an article adding ecocide to its criminal code in 2000.Read More →