First in the UK Supreme Court

Details
Written by Gus Jones
Category: Resources
Published: 27 October 2011
Friends of the Earth Scotland are understood to be the first Scottish NGO to intervene in a case at the UK Supreme Court. The organisation took the decision to intervene in a case involving pleural plaque sufferers. This case   provided an opportunity to challenge the restrictive interpretation that courts in Scotland have sometimes placed on 'title and interest', which is the Scots Law test of standing: the right to have your case heard by the court. Despite supporting the involvement of the pleural plaque sufferers, the Scottish Government opposed Friends of the Earth Scotland's intervention.
Significantly the court ruling upheld the right of campaign groups to have cases heard in a Scottish court soley on public interest grounds.
Title and interest' has been an issue in a number of high-profile environmental cases in recent months such as when local resident, Molly Forbes, was deemed not to have 'title and interest' in her judicial review against Donald Trump and Aberdeenshire Council.
In championing access to environmental justice Friends of the Earth Scotland have called on the Scottish government to make it easier for breaches of environmental law and poor decisions to be challenged. Friends of the Earth Scotland is part of the largest grassroots environmental network in the world, uniting over 2 million supporters, 77 national member groups, and some 5,000 local activist groups - covering every continent. BSCG welcomes support from Friends of the Earth Scotland for our fight for environmental justice in the Cairngorms National Park.

Access to environmental justice is featured in the 2011  Autumn/ Winter issue of the Friends of the Earth supporters magazine 'What On Earth'

Friends of the Earth Scotland are understood to be the first Scottish NGO to intervene in a case at the UK Supreme Court. The organisation took the decision to intervene in a case involving pleural plaque sufferers. This case   provided an opportunity to challenge the restrictive interpretation that courts in Scotland have sometimes placed on 'title and interest', which is the Scots Law test of standing: the right to have your case heard by the court. Despite supporting the involvement of the pleural plaque sufferers, the Scottish Government opposed Friends of the Earth Scotland's intervention.

Significantly the court ruling upheld the right of campaign groups to have cases heard in a Scottish court soley on public interest grounds.

Title and interest' has been an issue in a number of high-profile environmental cases in recent months such as when local resident, Molly Forbes, was deemed not to have 'title and interest' in her judicial review against Donald Trump and Aberdeenshire Council. 

In championing access to environmental justice Friends of the Earth Scotland have called on the Scottish government to make it easier for breaches of environmental law and poor decisions to be challenged. Friends of the Earth Scotland is part of the largest grassroots environmental network in the world, uniting over 2 million supporters, 77 national member groups, and some 5,000 local activist groups - covering every continent. BSCG welcomes support from Friends of the Earth Scotland for our fight for environmental justice in the Cairngorms National Park.