Earth Law: Emerging Ecocentric Law

Abstract

Anthony R. Zelle et al (Eds.), Earth Law: Emerging Ecocentric Law— A Guide for Practitioners, Wolters Kluwer, New York, 2021.ISBN 978-1-5438-2068-3The concept of standing can be said to be one of the pivotal aspects as far as any law is concerned and has been discussed and deliberated upon for quite a long time. Environmental jurisprudence, too is no exception when it comes to this aspect. Ever since baby steps were taken by Professor Christopher Stone in his seminal work, Should Trees Have Standing?1, the concept has traversed a long way, obviously, with a whole lot of challenges that it had to overcome. But nevertheless, it did taste success on a number of occasions. Stone’s version led to a situation wherein extending standing was not construed as absurd or unlikely, as it was sure that there would always be someone who would speak for the environment itself. Having influenced Justice Douglas in penning down his much-celebrated dissent in Sierra Club v. Morton2, Trees definitely was one article which was not lost in oblivion and one that has been quoted on many an occasion to cement this idea in jurisprudence, especially environmental jurisprudence.