On Friday, the 17th of November 2023, the Queen Mary Legal Advice Centre participated in the 5th annual student law clinic Global Day of Action for Climate Justice. The theme this year was ‘The Right to a Healthy Climate.’
'The Right to a Healthy Climate' was chosen both because the UN has recently been approaching climate change from a rights-based perspective, and due to the recent and groundbreaking case of Duarte Agostinho and Others v. Portugal and 32 Other States, in which a group of Portuguese young people have brought a case before the European Court of Human Rights, claiming that 32 countries of the European Union have violated their human rights for failing to do their part to avert the climate crisis.
To mark the day, a group of students from various Queen Mary Departments held an art exhibition and speaker event in the foyer of the School of Law. The team put out a call for submissions for creative pieces inspired by the ‘Right to a Healthy Climate’ theme, and received amazing paintings, drawing, and knitted items which were displayed throughout the day. Additionally, students hosted a series of speakers discussing various aspects of the climate crisis. Speakers included representatives from social enterprises SmartAir and Wash Innovation, who discussed air and water rights and innovative solutions to for delivering clean air and water; Professor Wayne Morrison, who discussed climate change and indigenous communities, and the granting of legal personhood to land by the Maori people of New Zealand; and Professor Johanna Gibson, who spoke on animal welfare law, animal rights, and climate change. All the discussions were fascinating and exemplified the many benefits and challenges of taking a rights-based approach to tackling the climate crisis.
Following the event, students will be putting together a newsletter to disseminate the art and information from the event to the wider student body, and continue the important conversations started on the Global Day of Action.
A huge thank you to the wonderful and committed group of students who made the day possible, and to the speakers and artists who donated their time and talents to such an important cause.
The Queen Mary Global Day of Action 2023 Team: