The uOttawa-Ecojustice Environmental Law Clinic Homepage

The Environmental Law Clinic is a partnership between the University of Ottawa - Common Law and Ecojustice (formerly Sierra Legal Defence Fund). It is Canada’s first interdisciplinary environmental law and policy clinic.

For more information on the Clinic, please check out the About Us page.

THE CLINIC IN THE NEWS

Media Release Fate of Canadian Rivers to Be Decided By Parliamentarians [93%] by Laura, Mar 24, 2009 10:46 AM

Ecojustice lawyer Will Amos speaks to the Finance and Transport Committee about a new bill that threatens the protection of Canadian Waterways

Media Release Des groupes de la société civile défendent le Code de gestion des pesticides au Parlement [66%] by Laura, Mar 24, 2009 08:23 AM

[Mars 2009]

Media Release Civil society groups defend Quebec pesticide ban in Parliament [80%] by Laura, Mar 24, 2009 08:17 AM

Ecojustice lawyer in parliament to defend Quebec's right to ban toxic pesticides [March 2009]

Media Release Supreme court upholds right to launch environmental class action lawsuits [74%] by cbarker, Jan 06, 2009 12:53 PM

A precedent-setting victory in the Supreme Court [November 20, 2008]

Media Release Le plus haut tribunal au Canada appuie le droit d’intenter des recours collectifs en matière d’environnement [60%] by cbarker, Dec 01, 2008 10:06 AM

[Le 20 novembre 2008]

Media Release uOttawa-Ecojustice lawyers defend Quebec publisher from defamation lawsuit [October 20 2008]

Media Release Un éditeur Québécois défendu par des avocats de l’uOttawa- Ecojustice dans un procès de diffamation [77%] by joder, Oct 20, 2008 07:55 AM

L’éditeur et les auteurs de l’exposé minier Canadien frappés par deux procès de diffamation [20 octobre 2008] 

Case Canadian Environmental Bill of Rights [70%] by joder, Jul 04, 2008 12:56 PM

Media Release New law gives Canadians legal right to healthy environment [51%] by joder, Jun 05, 2008 07:33 AM

Cornerstone environmental legislation introduced [June 5, 2008]

Media Release Intervention en Cour suprême du Canada de groupes environnementaux soucieux de préserver le droit au recours collectif en matière environnementale [55%] by jwinters, May 13, 2008 08:34 AM

Les avocats de deux groupes environnementaux agiront à titre d’intervenants à la Cour suprême du Canada aujourd’hui, pour contester la décision controversée ...

Media Release Ottawa Auditor slams City, findings bolsters whistleblower complaint [69%] by joder, May 15, 2008 09:07 AM

Audit reveals conflicts of interest over action taken against City of Ottawa engineer [April 23 2008]

CURRENT CLINIC CASES

Écosociété defamation lawsuit  Clinic lawyers are defending Écosociété, a small Quebec publisher, and three authors of a French-language book entitled Noir Canada. The book examines the evidence of complicity of Canadian mining companies in human rights abuses in Africa

Environmental Whistleblower Complaint On behalf of former City of Ottawa engineer Ted Cooper, Clinic lawyers filed Ontario’s first-ever environmental whistleblower complaint under the province’s Environmental Bill of Rights

Canadian Environmental Bill of Rights Clinic staff helped research and draft the Canadian Environmental Bill of Rights, model legislation that would formally enshrine in law the right of all Canadians to a healthy environment

Ontario Electronic Waste: In partnership with Ecojustice’s Senior Scientist in Toronto, the Clinic is submitting comments and authoring academic articles in relation to Ontario’s proposed plan to reduce, reuse and recycle electronic waste. In particular, the notion of “Design for Environment” is being developed at a legal level.

Quebec Mining Coalition: along with over 10 other Quebec-based environmental and social justice groups, the Clinic is working to bring about major changes in the statutory and regulatory mining regime in this province.  

PREVIOUS CASES

Ciment St. Laurent v. Barrette et al Clinic lawyers and pro bono lawyers from the firm of Lauzon Bélanger successfully intervened before the Supreme Court of Canada defending the rights of citizens to launch class action lawsuits over environmental harm

Sharbot Lake Uranium: Clinic lawyers successfully defended an individual in a proceeding intended to silence activists demonstrating at the gate of the controversial proposed uranium mine site at Sharbot Lake, Ontario

EVENTS

May 2009: Legal Toolkit - more details coming soon