Ensuring Environmental Accountability in Nigeria through the Liberalisation of the Locus Standi Rule: Lessons from some Selected Jurisdictions

Abstract

Oil pollution has become something of a daily occurrence in Nigeria, despite the existence of laws regulating petroleum operations. This is partly due to the cost of accessing judicial justice. Apart from cost issues, a plaintiff must satisfy that they have the standing to petition the court for the act complained of, which sometimes leaves the polluter without responsibility. This is against the notion of environmental accountability. It is the challenges posed by the strict interpretation of the standing rule in Nigeria on environmental accountability that forms the basis of this article. The article explores the lessons that can be learned from the development of standing rules in three different jurisdictions – the UK, Australia and South Africa.