Public Rights Claim Under Enviromental Law A Critical Analysis Of Public Interest Litigation In Uganda

ABSTRACT

An environmental law right has not been defined but vanous authorities, authors and

environmentalists have categorized several of those human rights both substantive and

procedural rights to effect environmental law rights.

The international instruments protecting these rights like Article 24 of African Charter on

Human and People's Rights (ACHPR) which states "All people have a right to general

satisfactory environment favorable to the development"

The other convention is the International Convention On Economic Social And Cultural Rights

which provides for improvement of all aspects of enviromnental and industrial; hygiene as one

of the steps parties should take to realize the right to health and such rights can be claimed under

Public Interest Litigation (PIL).

The objectives are both general and specific for the benefit of the whole people affected.

Generally, the major objective is to examine the law and practice of public interest litigation in

claiming environmental law rights in Uganda and also establish the legal and non legal factors

undennining the effectiveness of public interest litigation in Uganda.

To examine the effectiveness of PIL in protecting rights of people affected and the extent to

which the present legal and institutional framework allow institution ofPIL

The study will examine the legal and non legal factors that undermine the effectiveness of public

interest litigation PIL in claiming environmental rights specifically in Uganda and briefly

discuss the soft international laws and agreement which Uganda is a signatory, show how these

laws have helped in enforcing rights relating to environmental law.