Ecojustice Canada
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Ecojustice Canada (formerly Sierra Legal Defence Fund), is a Canadian non-profit environmental law firm that uses litigation to defend and protect the environment.[1]
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[edit] Mission
Ecojustice believes that all Canadians have a fundamental right to enjoy air, land and water that is clean, healthy and safe. Ecojustice represents environmental groups and concerned citizens who feel that these rights have been infringed upon by government decisions at any level, industry or corporation.
Ecojustice aims to set legal precendents that will ensure a strong and thriving environment for humans and wildlife alike, both for present generations and generations to come. The organization takes on cases at any level of court, from the lower courts all the way up to the Supreme Court of Canada.
While Ecojustice is fighting battles at municipal and grassroots levels, the organization also plays a role in the strategic development of new environmental laws, often in cooperation with other environmental or conservation groups. They work hard at seeing that the laws are always an accurate reflection of how the world has developed and changed, and they see to it that those laws are enshrined and respected within the Canadian legal system.
[edit] History
The Sierra Legal Defence Fund was founded in Vancouver, British Columbia in December 1990, by Stewart Elgie, son of Robert Elgie. Additional offices were opened in Toronto, Ontario in 1996 and Yellowknife, Northwest Territories in 2006. A joint Sierra Legal–University of Ottawa environmental law clinic was established in Ottawa, Ontario in January 2007, where Stewart Elgie is currently a Law Professor and associate director of the University of Ottawa’s Institute of the Environment.
Sierra Legal officially be changed the name of the organization to Ecojustice Canada in September 2007.
Ecojustice expects to open an office in Alberta in Fall 2008.
[edit] Publications
Ecojustice produces various publications that inform and educate the public on legal victories, upcoming cases and lawsuits in progress. Ecojustice also publishes investigative reports on environmental issues.
The Victories Report, issued once per year, informs the public about cases that Ecojustice fought and won in the previous calendar year.
The Ecojustice Newsletter, issued every three months, includes updates of ongoing cases and profiles of staff members and special events that Ecojustice is hosting or involved in.
In the spring of 2007, Ecojustice released The Municipal Powers Report. This report was a primer for local residents of communities and municipalities all throughout the country wishing to green their living spaces on their own, rather than wait for federal government regulations to be passed and take effect. The report included case studies of municipalities that had successfully initiated new and innovative environmental programs. It also offered templates, planning tools and tips to encourage activism at the local level.
In April 2008, Ecojustice released Fight to the Last Drop: A Glimpse into Alberta’s Water Future a report highlighting massive water diversions and brokering of water licences in Alberta
[edit] Partnerships
Ecojustice has acted as legal representation for environmental advocacy groups such as:
- The David Suzuki Foundation
- Greenpeace Canada
- The World Wildlife Fund of Canada
- Friends of the Earth Canada
- The Pembina Institute
- The Sierra Club of Canada
- Pollution Probe
