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About the Project
The UK is one of 47 Parties to the Aarhus Convention (‘the Convention’), an international treaty under the auspices of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). The Convention sets out obligations on Parties to make provisions for the public to access environmental information, to participate in environmental decision-making and to access justice when challenging environmental decisions. One of the Convention’s core aims is to ensure access to justice in environmental matters. The Convention’s monitoring body, the Aarhus Convention’s Compliance Committee (ACCC), has found the UK to be non-compliant with the Convention and has made several recommendations about matters on which the UK must take action to bring its policies into compliance with the Convention.
The UK government has therefore launched an investigation into applications of the Aarhus conveniton in the UK. They have published a call for evidence seeking views on options to bring the UK’s policies into compliance with the Aarhus Convention. You can find the call for evidence linked here.
Roles and Responsibilities
CAJ, supported by specialist environmental lawyers on the Faculty, will be leading a team of 15-20 students who are interested in access to justice and environmental law, to research, write, and submit a policy paper to contribute to the consultation. To do so, students will be split into small groups, each focusing on particular issues and questions listed in Chapter 4 of the call for evidence (page 30). The Aarhus Convention Clinic will take place over October and November, with the final report submitted by early December.
Time commitment
Students will be expected to attend the introductory session from 5:30 - 7:30PM on 29 October.
Selected students will meet with Ian Browne and in their small teams weekly, conducting approximately 4 hours of research/writing expected outside of these meetings.
Training
All students be required to complete the CAJ Mandatory Volunteer training, which covers data protection and confidentiality, working with vulnerable clients, professional conduct and regulation, self-care, and our expectations of CAJ volunteers.
Pro Bono Skills Development Framework
The Centre for Access to Justice now offers all students engaged in voluntary pro bono the opportunity to participate in the Pro Bono Skills Development Framework. This framework allows you to reflect on the skills gained during your placement, aligned with the Aurora Competence Framework. Completing it earns you a Certificate of Commitment to Pro Bono, acknowledging your dedication and skill development. Your participation will help you document and showcase the valuable competencies you've developed, however, please note that participation in the PBSDF scheme is entirely voluntary and will not affect your placement in any way.
Eligibility and How to Apply
Deadline: 24th October 2024, 11:59PM
Training and Introduction: 29 October, 5:30 - 7:30PM.
Eligibility
All LLB and LLM students.
To apply, you must be available for the initial training and introduction to the clinic.
How to apply:
Applications for this opportunity are open. Please apply via the online application form.
When applying, please make sure you have completed the CAJ Equality and Diversity Monitoring Questionnaire. You only need to complete this once per academic year.
Should you have any questions, please contact Ian Browne at i.browne@ucl.ac.uk.