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SC highlights environmental efforts

Alvin Murcia··2 MIN READ

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF ABOITIZ LAND

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF ABOITIZ LAND

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Supreme Court Associate Justice Maria Filomena Singh has recently showcased the SC’s significant advancements in upholding the right to a balanced and healthful ecology in a recent conference organized by the Constitutional Council of the French Republic in Paris.

Addressing the audience at the Conseil Constitutionnel in Paris, Singh joined a distinguished panel featuring Antonio H. Benjamin, a Justice at the National High Court of Brazil; Eduardo Ferrer Mac-Gregor Poisot, a former president of the Interamerican Court of Human Rights; Dineke de Groot, president of the Supreme Court of the Netherlands; Stephen Harbarth, president of the German Federal Constitutional Court; and Mattias Guyomar, a Justice at the European Court of Human Rights.

Singh highlighted pivotal judicial decisions, including Oposa v. Factoran, Resident Mammals of Tañon Strait v. Secretary of the DoE, and MMDA v. Concerned Residents of Manila Bay, which have significantly impacted environmental protection in the Philippines.

The insights into the high court’s reform initiatives outlined in its Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027, aimed at bolstering environmental safeguards was also share by Singh.

Mentioned initiatives in the prestigious conference was the Puerto Princesa Green Justice Zone under the Justice Sector Coordinating Council and ongoing efforts to refine the Rules of Procedure for Environmental Cases, signaling the court’s commitment to environmental stewardship.