Ensuring environmental access rights in the Caribbean: Analysis of selected case law

Having timely and adequate access to environmental information, fostering the effective engagement of all interested parties in environmental decision-making and safeguarding access to environmental justice are important prerequisites of sustainable development. Seeking to contribute to environmental democracy and sustainable development in the Caribbean, the Caribbean Court of Justice Academy of Law and the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean have joined forces to compile the normative foundations and judicial developments that underpin the effective enjoyment of such rights and identify the key challenges ahead. This book, the outcome of that effort, summarizes the legal frameworks applicable to Caribbean countries on environmental access rights, identifies essential common core elements for upholding such rights and reviews salient cases from high courts of the subregion in which access rights have been implemented successfully.Forewoed .-- I. Overview of the Caribbean legal framework on access rights in environmental matters. A. International and regional obligations on environmental access rights. B. National obligations on environmental access rights .-- II. Core elements for ensuring environmental access rights. A. Access to environmental information .-- B. Public participation in environmental matters. C. Access to justice in environmental matters .-- Chapter III. Selected Caribbean case law on access rights in environmental matters .-- Chapter IV. Final considerations