In March 2025, ERCS submitted a complaint to the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee on the Scottish Civil Justice Council’s failure to publicly consult on proposed changes to rules ...
Reforming legal aid to deliver environmental justice
A new ERCS briefing discusses the importance of amending Regulation 15 of the Civil Legal Aid (Scotland) Regulations 2002 to enable public interest environmental litigation and increase access to environmental justice. The briefing summarises evidence supplied by ERCS legal director Ben Christman to the Scottish Parliament’s Equalities, Human Rights, and Civil Justice Committee in November 2024, which highlights how the ‘joint interest test’ specified under Regulation 15 of the Civil Legal Aid Regulations 2002 makes it difficult to obtain legal aid for environmental cases. ERCS recommends that Regulation 15 is amended so that it does not apply to cases falling within the scope of the Aarhus Convention. Read the briefing
Complaint about the Scottish Civil Justice Council’s breach of the Aarhus Convention passes first hurdle
The Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee has rejected an attempt by the UK Government to have ERCS’s complaint about the Scottish Civil Justice Council declared inadmissible ...
Scottish Civil Justice Council reported to a top UN body over breach of international environmental law – press release
The Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland has today urged a top UN body to intervene against the Scottish Civil Justice Council for breaching our right to public participation in environmental decision-making ...
Charities call the Scottish Government’s lack of progress on UN treaty an ‘abject failure’ to protect environmental rights – press release
Environmental charities including the RSPB and ERCS have called out the Scottish Government’s ‘abject failure’ to meet the access to justice requirements of the UN Aarhus Convention ...
Environmental campaigners rally outside Court of Session as Scottish Government misses access to justice deadline – press release
Environmental and human rights campaigners today rallied outside the Court of Session to mark the Scottish Government missing a crucial deadline for compliance with the with the UN Aarhus Convention’s access to justice requirements ...
Environmental Justice Rally
On 1 October, Scotland will fail to meet a deadline to ensure access to justice on the environment is affordable. Join us for a rally outside the Court of Session ...
Win: Scottish Forestry to publish decisions about Environmental Impact Assessments
After ERCS identified a breach of law, Scottish Forestry’s decisions on forestry projects will be more transparent ...
