Join UKELAs Environmental Litigation group for an engaging and thought provoking seminar to explore the potential benefits and challenges of establishing a dedicated Wildlife and Environment Court in the UK (hybrid / London). Timings: registration 4.30pm for a 5pm start.
This event brings together distinguished speakers and international expertise to discuss how a specialised court could improve the UK’s approach to addressing environmental damage and wildlife crime. This is an opportunity to engage directly with experts and contribute to the conversation
Whilst we are hoping that you will be able to join us in person it will be a hybrid event so you can also join us virtually.
Key themes
- Insights into Uganda’s dedicated Wildlife and Environment Court (the only such court in Africa)
- International perspectives on the successes and challenges of specialised courts
- Strategies and lessons learned from addressing wildlife crime and environmental damage
- A discussion of innovative approaches and best practices that could inform the UK’s legal framework
Our Speakers
- Guest Speaker Chief Magistrate Gladys Kamasanyu (Uganda). Gladys is a Chief Magistrate with the Uganda Judiciary. She is currently the head of Africa’s first and only specialized wildlife court, the Uganda Wildlife Court located in Kampala. In 2016, Gladys along with two other judicial officers were tasked with establishing the Court on the ground. She was highly involved in advising the Uganda Judiciary Administration on how best the Court could operate. She was also involved in stakeholder meetings and getting the Court up and running. In 2017, the Uganda Wildlife Court was officially launched. Gladys has successfully adjudicated many high-profile wildlife cases involving a number of illicit wildlife products like elephant ivory, pangolin scales, live pangolins, rhino horns and hippopotamus teeth. She has over time gained a wealth of experience in the area of wildlife crime and other crimes against animals. Gladys is also the founder of Help African Animals, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization based in Uganda registered both in Uganda and the United States of America. She registered Help African Animals while she was pursuing her LLM in Animal Law. The desire to permanently contribute to animal protection drove Gladys into to start Help African Animals. Help African Animals protects animals through the legal system by raising awareness and building capacity about wildlife crime and other crimes against animals, their nature and effect, the laws protecting animals and penalties for violation of the laws. Gladys is driven by the belief that animals don’t speak, let us speak for them.She will be sharing insights into the court’s operations, benefits, challenges and key success as well as addressing wildlife crime and environmental damage; lessons and strategies with global relevance
- Stephen Hockman KC. Stephen is Head of 6 Pump Court Chambers and has specialised in all forms of regulatory law for approximately the last 30 years. He is a leader of exceptionally high standing and has a broad environmental, health and safety and planning practice encompassing judicial review, inquiries, arbitration, civil claims and criminal prosecution and defence work. Stephen is a leading advocate for the establishment of an Environmental Court in the UK and will provide insights into the legal policy challenges of implementing a specialised court in the UK and will also provide an overview of how it could benefit the environment
- Professor Angus Nurse. Professor Angus Nurse, researches animal, environmental, and human rights law, green criminology and critical criminal justice. He was previously Head of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Nottingham Trent University (2021 to 2023) and prior to that was Associate Professor, Environmental Justice and Director of Policing Programmes in the Department of Criminology and Sociology at Middlesex University School of Law. Angus is a member of the Wild Animal Welfare Committee (WAWC), and previously worked for an environmental NGO, and as an Investigator for the Local Government Ombudsman.Angus will be providing insights into the key challenges in addressing wildlife crime in the UK and globally and an examination of the systemic issues that hinder effective enforcement and prosecution. A discussion of innovative solutions to strengthen wildlife and environmental enforcement and how a specialised court could assist.
Tickets*
• Members – £10
• Non-members – £20
• UKELA Students and unwaged members – £5
*We are unable to provide refunds within 5 working days of the event.
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