Lawyers Are Responsible
A group of prominent lawyers, working with the Good Law Project and Plan B.Earth, are taking action in solidarity with all those on the frontline of the climate and ecological crises, in particular the younger generations, the peoples of the global South and those prosecuted and imprisoned for peaceful acts of conscience.

WE HAVE DECLARED THAT WE WILL WITHHOLD OUR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES IN RESPECT OF: 

(I) SUPPORTING NEW FOSSIL FUEL PROJECTS; AND 

(II) ACTION AGAINST CLIMATE PROTESTERS EXERCISING THEIR DEMOCRATIC RIGHT OF PEACEFUL PROTEST.


See Declaration text in full.

If you're with us, please sign the Declaration by completing the form below.


If you are interested in joining us but would like to discuss it further, please email LawyersAR@protonmail.com.


Context

In September 2022, more than 250 leading lawyers and legal academics signed the letter, Lawyers for 1.5˚C - Humanity’s Lifeline, which began:

"We, the undersigned members of the legal profession, support the contents of this letter in the light of substantial evidence that breaching the 1.5˚C temperature goal established by the Paris Agreement on Climate Change risks mass loss of life and threatens the conditions for a stable civilisation, including the rule of law."

Last year, the UN Secretary General warned that  “investing in new fossil fuel infrastructure is moral and economic madness”. Yet the UK Government, despite claiming to be a "world-leader on climate change", accelerated the grant of new oil and gas licences in the North Sea and has approved a new coal mine in Cumbria, contrary to the expert and scientific advice.

International law recognises the principles that sovereign states i) have control over their own resources and ii) must not cause harm to the territory of other states. The UK Government is knowingly pursuing policies that contribute towards a climate catastrophe that will render whole regions of the world uninhabitable, in violation of the no harm principle.

The UK legal profession, taken as a whole, plays a major role in supporting the fossil fuel economy, that is already killing and displacing many people throughout the world, and which now also threatens all of our futures. The City of London is one of the largest global centres for financing fossil fuel projects, assessed in 2019 as supporting at least 15% of global emissions. Those who peacefully protest against the climate crisis are treated as criminals: on just one day last year, more than 50 peaceful climate protestors were jailed in the UK.

We did not join the legal profession or study law to facilitate mass loss of life or the collapse of the rule of law. To the extent that our rules of professional conduct require us to support courses of action which contribute towards these outcomes, we reject them, and will accept the personal consequences.

Please join us by signing the Declaration via the form below.

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Anchalee Koyama
, Thailand
 (© Gideon Mendel)
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