Feris, Loretta Annelise (2000-12)
protection of environmental rights in the light of the South African Bill of Rights, and
draw, in a comparative manner, on examples from two other jurisdictions, namely the
United States of America (USA) and India.
In the first part of the study "environmental justice" is defined and thereafter the
ways in which the idea of "environmental justice" has found expression in the USA and
Indian jurisprudence as well as in legislative and administrative practices in these two
countries are analysed comparatively. In reviewing the US experience the study
concludes that the courts have shown a conspicuous measure of self-restraint in the
conceptualisation of environmental justice. Due to its non-activist and formalistic
approach, the judiciary has failed to address systemic environmental inequities, and to
carve out remedies whereby environmental injustice could have been dealt with in an
effective and meaningful way.
The more activist approach of the Indian judiciary, on the other hand, has led to
more effective protection of the environment and of people adversely affected by
environmental degradation. The judiciary has imposed positive obligations on the state
to carry out its social duties as laid down in the Directive Principles of the Indian
Constitution. Although India does not have a constitutionally entrenched environmental
right, the courts have interpreted the right to life proactively so as to include quality of
The study concludes by examining possible applications of the principle of
environmental justice for the protection of environmental rights in South Africa,
assessing the law as it stands and exploring new avenues in the light of the Bill of Rights.
In this respect the following guidelines are proposed by this study:
o Environmental problems in South Africa must be placed within their specific
historical and political context. Consequently environmental injustice must be
understood as a form of inequity that impacts on people disproportionately on the
basis of race and socio-economic status. The concept "environment" can therefore not be narrowly understood, whether it is
being dealt with in the Constitution, legislation or common law. It must be
recognised that the concept goes beyond ecosystems and that it includes a
multiplicity of relationships, in many of which humans are the focal point.
o Environmental justice claims in South Africa may best be framed as constitutional
claims. Regard should be had not only to the environmental right in section 24 of
the Constitution, but also to other rights that support the notion of environmental
justice, such as the rights to life, equality and dignity.
o Judicial activism is a key to the promotion of environmental justice. The judiciary
plays an important role in ensuring that the state and other actors fulfil their
obligation to respect, protect, promote and fulfil the rights in the Bill of Rights.
Transformation requires a judiciary that is prepared to reconsider the traditional
boundaries of the doctrine of separation of powers and to lay down directives for
other branches of government, in particular the executive.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie proefskrif is om die beginsel "omgewingsgeregtigheid" te
konsepsualiseer. Die studie poog dus om die betekenis van hierdie beginsel, sowel as die
moontlike gebruik daarvan in die beskerming van omgewingsregte vas te stel in die lig van
die Suid Afrikaanse Handves van Regte. Verder poog die studie om deur middel van
regsvergelyking insigte te bekom uit voorbeelde in twee jurisdiksies, die Verenigde State van
Amerika en Indië.
"Omgewingsgeregtigheid" word in die eerste deel van die proefskrif gedefinieer. In
die tweede deel word die wyse waarop omgewingsgeregtigheid uitdrukking vind in
Amerikaanse en Indiese reg, sowel as in statutêre en administratiewe praktyk vergelykend
geanaliseer. In die beoordeling van die Amerikaanse ervaring word tot die slotsom gekom
dat die howe 'n ooglopende mate van selfbeheersing toon in die konsepsualisering van
omgewingsgeregtigheid. As gevolg van die regsbank se nie-aktivistiese en formalistiese
benadering, het dit in gebreke gebly om sistemiese omgewingsongelykhede aan te spreek, en
om remedies te ontwikkel wat omgewingsgeregtigheid op 'n effektiewe en betekenisvolle
Die aktivistiese benadering van die Indiese regsbank aan die ander kant, lei tot meer
effektiewe beskerming van die omgewing en diegene wat nadelig geaffekteer word deur
omgewingsbeskadiging. Die regsbank plaas positiewe verpligtinge op die staat sodat die staat
sy sosiale pligte kan nakom soos bepaal in die Direktiewe Beginselsin die Indiese Grondwet.
Alhoewel Indië nie oor 'n grondwetlik verskanste omgewingsreg beskik nie, het die howe die
reg op lewe pro-aktief geinterpreteer sodat dit ook die reg op lewenskwaliteit insluit.
Die studie ondersoek verder die moontlike toepassings van die beginsel van
omgewingsgeregtigheid vir die beskerming van omgewingsregte in Suid Afrika. Dit
beoordeel die huidige reg en ondersoek nuwe rigtings in die lig van die Handves van Regte.
In hierdie opsig word die volgende riglyne neergelê in hierdie studie:
o Omgewingsprobleme in Suid Afrika moet binne 'n spesifieke historiese en
politieke raamwerk geplaas word. Gevolglik moet omgewingsongeregtigheid verstaan word as 'n vorm van onbillikheid wat mense op grond van ras en sosioekonomiese
D Die konsep "omgewing" behoort dus nie beperkend geinterpreteer te word nie,
hetsy dit gebruik word in die grondwet, wetgewing of die gemene reg.
Erkenning moet gegeeword daaraan dat die begrip wyer is as ekosisteme en dat
dit 'n veelvoud van verhoudings insluit, baie waarvan mense die middelpunt
D Eise rakende omgewingsgeregtigheid in Suid Afrika moet beskou word as
grondwetlike eise. Nie net kom die omgewingsreg vervat in artike124 van die
Grondwet ter sprake nie, maar ook aan ander regte soos die reg op lewe,
gelykheid en menswaardigheid wat omgewingsgeregtigheid ondersteun.
D Regterlike aktivisme is die sleutel tot die bevordering van omgewingsgregtigheid.
Die regsbank speel 'n belangrike rol deurdat dit moet verseker dat die staat en
ander rolspelers hul plig nakom om die regte in die Handves van Regte te
respekteer, te beskerm en te bevorder. Transformasie vereis dus 'n regsbank wat
bereid is om die tradisionele grense van die beginsel van magskeiding te
heroorweeg en om riglyne neer te lê vir ander takke van die regering, spesifiek die
Please refer to this item in SUNScholar by using the following persistent URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/51949