Courts as Stewards: Leading the Charge in Environmental Justice

Speaking at the 'Justice S B Sinha Memorial Lecture' held at the National University of Study and Research in Law, Ranchi, Supreme Court Judge Justice B V Nagarathna highlighted the pivotal role courts must play in ensuring environmental justice. Stressing the judiciary’s capacity to uphold ecological conservation and public accountability, she called for a forward-thinking approach to governance.

Justice Nagarathna underscored the inequitable impact of pollution, climate change, and resource depletion on the marginalized. She argued that environmental adjudication must incorporate fairness and equity, recognizing courts as central to driving environmental justice through constitutional interpretation and legal principles that are preventive and context-responsive.

The lecture reiterated that environmental justice not only safeguards living conditions but also extends the constitutional right to life, encompassing health, dignity, and well-being for the current and future generations. She closed by emphasizing the judiciary’s role as custodians for the unborn.