Criminalising Environmental Damage through the Introduction of an International Ecocide Law

通过引入国际生态灭绝法将环境破坏定为刑事犯罪

• 批准号: 2872992
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Bath
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2023 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2872992
• 关键词: Criminalising; Environmental; Damage; through; Introduction

Scholarship on ecocide is a relatively recent development, with discussions around the potential benefits and approaches of introducing ecocide legislation on the international level remaining divided and undeveloped. This provides scope for further research on the topic (Weisberg 1970; Burke and Celermajer 2021; Higgins 2016). In 2021, there was a pivotal development when an Independent Expert Panel (IEP) drafted a proposed legal ecocide definition for an amendment to the Rome Statute (Burke and Celermajer 2021; IEP 2021). However, it remains unspecified how an international ecocide legal framework could be implemented.Ecocide is defined as the progressive human-induced destruction of species and habitats, typically linked to specific locations and campaigns (Broswimmer 2015; Zierler 2011; End Ecocide 2010). Forms of environmental and ecocide legislation have been implemented under national jurisdictions (Ecocide Law 2022; Bettis 2022). International law challenges environmental damage during wartime, yet not during peacetime (Ecocide Law 2022; UNEP 2009). Interdisciplinary academics, campaigners and non-governmental organisations support ecocide legislation as it provides an opportunity to hold perpetrators accountable (Mehta and Merz 2015; IEP 2021; Mwanza 2018). However, some scholars remain more cautious of the practical challenges of ecocide legislation, suggesting the International Criminal Court (ICC) is insufficient for prosecuting ecocide and questioning the appropriate approach to criminalisation given the complexity of ecocide acts (Killean 2022; Heller 2021; Bauer 1997; Minkova 2021; Jeffrey 2020).This research aims to explore the scope and importance of criminalising environmental damage through the introduction of an international ecocide law. Objectives:* To explore approaches for criminalising ecocide under international law.* To determine the value of these approaches for challenging global environmental damage.* To examine indigenous communities' inclusion or exclusion in environmental legal practices.* To identify what approaches for criminalising ecocide provide vulnerable individuals with the greatest voice.This research will use qualitative methods to investigate the scope and importance of introducing an international ecocide law. Data will be collected in two phases. First, using ethnographic methods, the research will collect data from environmental trials and other relevant international trials. This data will develop an understanding of relevant legal practices, particularly on how environmental trials are conducted and how indigenous communities are included or excluded. The second phase will involve conducting around 30-40 semi-structured interviews with key actors. Individuals will be identified through purposive and snowball sampling and include court system actors alongside individuals lower to the ground, such as indigenous representatives and activists. This illustrative sample will provide an insight into the perspectives of relevant practitioners and those closer to the ground, who are often most effected, on the appropriate approach for implementing an international ecocide law. The research aims to provide the first in-depth examination of alternative methods for ecocide criminalisation through developing, reframing, and enriching existing scholarly and policy debates, towards protecting vulnerable communities and nature from harm. Therefore, the research aims to produce both scholarly and empirical impact.

关于生态灭绝的学术研究是一个相对较新的发展，围绕在国际层面引入生态灭绝立法的潜在好处和方法的讨论仍然存在分歧和未发展。这为该主题的进一步研究提供了空间（Weisberg 1970；Burke 和 Celermajer 2021；Higgins 2016）。 2021 年，出现了关键进展，独立专家小组 (IEP) 为《罗马规约》修正案起草了拟议的生态灭绝合法定义（Burke 和 Celermajer 2021；IEP 2021）。然而，国际生态灭绝法律框架如何实施仍没有具体说明。生态灭绝被定义为人类对物种和栖息地的逐步破坏，通常与特定地点和活动相关（Broswimmer 2015；Zierler 2011；End Ecocide 2010）。各种形式的环境和生态灭绝立法已在国家管辖范围内实施（生态灭绝法 2022；Bettis 2022）。国际法挑战战时的环境破坏，但不挑战和平时期的环境破坏（生态灭绝法，2022 年；联合国环境规划署，2009 年）。跨学科学者、活动家和非政府组织支持生态灭绝立法，因为它提供了追究肇事者责任的机会（Mehta 和 Merz 2015；IEP 2021；Mwanza 2018）。然而，一些学者对生态灭绝立法的实际挑战仍然更加谨慎，认为国际刑事法院（ICC）不足以起诉生态灭绝，并质疑考虑到生态灭绝行为的复杂性，适当的刑事定罪方法（Killean 2022；Heller 2021；Bauer 1997） ；Minkova 2021；Jeffrey 2020）。本研究旨在通过引入国际环境法来探讨将环境破坏定为刑事犯罪的范围和重要性。生态灭绝法。目标：* 探索根据国际法将生态灭绝定为刑事犯罪的方法。* 确定这些方法对挑战全球环境损害的价值。* 审查土著社区在环境法律实践中的纳入或排除情况。* 确定将生态灭绝定为刑事犯罪的方法提供了哪些内容弱势群体拥有最大的发言权。本研究将使用定性方法来调查引入国际生态灭绝法的范围和重要性。数据将分两个阶段收集。首先，该研究将使用人种学方法收集环境试验和其他相关国际试验的数据。这些数据将加深对相关法律实践的理解，特别是关于如何进行环境试验以及如何将土著社区纳入或排除在外。第二阶段将涉及对关键人物进行大约 30-40 次半结构化访谈。将通过有目的的滚雪球抽样来识别个人，其中包括法院系统参与者以及较低层的个人，例如土著代表和活动人士。这个说明性样本将深入了解相关从业者和那些最接近实地的人（他们往往受到最严重的影响）对实施国际生态灭绝法的适当方法的看法。该研究旨在通过发展、重构和丰富现有的学术和政策辩论，首次深入探讨生态灭绝刑事定罪的替代方法，以保护脆弱社区和自然免受伤害。因此，该研究旨在产生学术和实证影响。