Environmental Law Training for Parliament's Legal Advisors

IMEL, in partnership with UCT's Law@work Programme and EnAct International, recently hosted thirty legal advisors from the Provincial and National Legislatures for a week-long Environmental Law Training Workshop in early April. The Workshop was arranged in response to a request from these legal advisors following the recent flurry of environmentally-related reforms passing through Parliament in the last sixth month period. The Workshop specifically sought to: promote knowledge of the nature, scope and content of environmental law; build awareness of the factors and processes that shape the development and content of environmental law; and empower the legal advisors with a view to assisting members of Parliament tasked with reviewing and commenting on draft environmental laws passing through the parliamentary process. During the week, the legal advisors were introduced to the origins and components of environmental law, framework environmental legislation, land use planning law, natural resource law and pollution law. The Workshop proved to be an enriching experience for both presenters and participants.