Smith v Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd

Smith v Fonterra Co-Operative Group Ltd [2024] NZSC 5. wata alama ce ta shari'ar azabtarwa ta New Zealand, game da alhaki na manyan masu gurɓatar mai don lalata yanayi. Kotun kolin kasar ta NZ ta ce kamfanonin da ke gurbata muhalli za su iya zama alhakin biyan diyya daga dumamar yanayi da hauhawar matakan teku ga mutanen da aka lalatar da kadarorinsu na gabar teku, tare da soke kotunan da ke kasa.

 Gaskiya 
Michael John Smith ya bayyana cewa shi dan asalin Ngāpuhi ne da kuma Ngāti Kahu, kuma shi ne kakakin sauyin yanayi na dandalin Kujeru na Iwi.See the court report at [2021] NZCA 552 Ya yi iƙirarin buƙatun al'ada a filaye da sauran albarkatu da ke cikin ko kusa da Mahinepua a cikin yankin Arewa, kuma ya bayar da hujjar cewa wurare daban-daban na al'ada, al'adu, tarihi, abinci mai gina jiki da ma'anar ruhaniya a gare shi suna kusa da bakin teku, a kan ƙasa mai ƙasa ko kuma a cikin teku. Smith ya gabatar da kara a kan wadanda ake tuhuma da yawa wadanda ke aiki da wuraren da ke fitar da hayaki mai gurbata yanayi, gami da gonakin kiwo, tashar wutar lantarki, da matatar mai. Smith ya yi zargin cewa gudummawar da waɗanda ake tuhuma suka bayar ga sauyin yanayi sun zama ɓarna ga jama'a, sakaci, da kuma keta haƙƙin dakatar da bayar da gudummawa ga sauyin yanayi. Ya bayar da hujjar cewa kamfanonin su samar da hayakin sifili ta 2030. Ya yi iƙirarin cewa wani reshe na Bathurst Resources Group (Maɗaukakin Ma'adinan Coal NZ), matatar mai (mallakar ExxonMobil, BP da Z Energy), tashar wutar lantarki mallakar Genesis Energy LP (wanda masu kula da kadarorin Amurka ke gudanarwa, JPS Advisors) da kuma Invesco Morgan. sauran emitters. Mista Smith bai yi ƙoƙari ya kawo shaidar gudummawar waɗannan ƙungiyoyin ga lalacewar yanayi ba, ko kuma ya yi bayani game da ƙididdige asarar da ya yi masa.

 Hukunce-hukunce 

 Babban Kotun 
Babban Kotun New Zealand Auckland Registry ta yi watsi da da'awar biyu na farko amma ba na uku ba. An gudanar da cewa babu wani lamari na tashin hankali na jama'a kuma babu sakaci, amma mai yuwuwa wajibi ne a daina ba da gudummawa ga lalacewar yanayi. Wylie J, yayin da yake bayar da hukunci, ya bayyana cewa 'wadanda ake tuhuma' fitar da hayakin gama gari kadan ne a cikin mahallin hayaki mai gurbata muhalli a duniya, cewa ''masu hankali a cikin takalmin wadanda ake tuhuma ba za su iya hango barnar da Mista Smith ya yi ba', kuma hakan ya kasance 'sakamako mai yuwuwa ko mai nisa na fitar da wadanda ake tuhuma''. Wannan lamari ne na doka, saboda "zai buƙaci Kotuna su shiga cikin batutuwa masu rikitarwa, waɗanda aka fi dacewa da su ga majalisa" kuma "al'amura sun yi kyau a waje da al'amuran al'ada na shari'ar jama'a."E McGaughey, Principles of Enterprise Law: the Economic Constitution and Human Rights (Cambridge UP 2022) ch 11, 413

92. 'Mafi dacewa a cikin kasar nan don magance matsalolin da ke tattare da matsalolin da sauyin yanayi ke gabatarwa ita ce Gwamnati. Sai dai kawai za ta bukaci daukar matakin gama gari daga masu fitar da hayaki a kasar nan, kuma matakin da wadanda ake kara suka dauka kadai, ko ta hanyar umarnin kotu ko akasin haka, ba zai kaucewa barnar da ake yi ba.

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102. Mista Smith's bai yi wani yunƙuri ba a roƙon dalilinsa na uku don komawa ga wajibai na shari'a da aka sani, ko don ƙara gano wani sabon wajibci ta hanyar kwatankwacin ka'idodin da ke akwai. Wannan, ina zargin, saboda ba za a iya yin irin wannan ƙoƙarin ba da sauri. Aikin kulawa da ake da'awar ba shakka ba ya kamanceceniya da duk wani aikin kulawa da ke akwai kuma ina shakkar cewa za a iya siffanta saninsa a matsayin sannu-sannu ko mataki-mataki fadada alhakin sakaci. Dalilan manufofin jama'a da na gano a cikin 98 a sama wajen yin la'akari da ko aikin kulawa a cikin sakaci na iya tsawanta a cikin sabuwar hanyar da Mista Smith ya yi iƙirari, a gare ni na haifar masa da cikas mai mahimmanci a ƙoƙarin shawo kan Kotun cewa ya kamata a amince da sabon aikin shari'a.

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107. Kotu za ta yi la'akari da yadda kowane wanda ake tuhuma zai ɗauki alhakin samar da iskar gas wanda ba ta da alhakin kai tsaye. Dole ne a kiyaye ƙidaya sau biyu tsakanin waɗanda ake tuhuma (da ƙungiyoyin ketare a cikin yanayin BT Mining) da waɗanda ake tuhuma a gaba a cikin irin wannan shari'ar. Kotun za ta zabi hanyar da za ta yi amfani da makamancin carbon dioxide, ta yadda za a iya kwatanta iskar gas mai ma'ana idan aka yi la'akari da illolin da hayaki daban-daban ke haifar da dumamar yanayi...

Dole ne Kotun ta yi la'akari da abin da idan duk wani yanayi na raguwar fitar da hayaki za a buƙaci kowane wanda ake tuhuma ya cimma tsakanin 2020 da 2030 (kwanakin da Mista Smith ya ba da shawarar). Dole ne Kotun ta yanke shawarar ko ya kamata a sami ci gaba na layi ɗaya zuwa net zero, ko kuma yadda za a ci gaba zuwa sifilin sifili ya kamata ya yi la'akari da yanayin kowane wanda ake tuhuma wanda zai iya nuna cewa wani yanayi na musamman ba zai dace ba ko rashin adalci ga ɗaya ko fiye na waɗanda ake tuhuma.Corlett, Eva (6 March 2024). "The Māori climate activist breaking legal barriers to bring corporate giants to court". The Guardian. London, United Kingdom. Retrieved 2024-03-06

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