Fisherman and Friends of the Sea v Environmental Management Authority and Others (Trinidad & Tobago)

An Appeal from the Court of Appeal of Trinidad and Tobago.

“This is an expedited appeal from the refusal of leave to challenge by judicial review a “Certificate of Environmental Clearance” (“CEC”) issued by the Environmental Management Authority (“the Authority”) to the Ministry of Works and Transport (“the Ministry”) for the building of a new 5,000 metre stretch of highway (“the highway”). The proposed route runs some 120 metres south, and roughly parallel to, the southern border of the Aripo Savannas Strict Nature Reserve, designated in 2007 as an Environmentally Sensitive Area. It constitutes a unique ecosystem, of national and international importance, due to its array of habitats not seen elsewhere in the country and its high density of rare, threatened and endemic species. The appellant is a non-profit company concerned to promote effective regulation of the environment of Trinidad and Tobago.”

Click here for the full judgment.