The greatest task bestowed upon human race today is none other than to solve the environmental problem. As a result of obsessing with great progresses while overlooking environmental problems, humanity now faces a threat to its own existence. In many ...
The greatest task bestowed upon human race today is none other than to solve the environmental problem. As a result of obsessing with great progresses while overlooking environmental problems, humanity now faces a threat to its own existence. In many aspects, humankind is working hard to resolve the environmental issues, and the legal domain is no exception. The environmental issues have been dealt with by the public law, and to date there have not been active researches on the private law aspect of the subject. It is with this recognition that this study attempted to restructure the environmental rights as private rights
A total of six chapters comprise this thesis, and specifics are as follows:
The second chapter deals with the Nature of Rights Theory. First reason for discussing the Nature of Rights Theory is to clearly understand the characteristics of the environmental rights. Secondly, when environmental rights are considered a private right, it would prove beneficial for the victims in establishing proof of tort or practicing rights of injunction. To approach the Nature of Rights Theory, I began my arguments focusing on the existing Will Theory and Interest Theory. But, these discussions brought to light the necessity of a different understanding for the nature of rights. Therefore, I unfolded the Theory of Rights to include the objective of rights, the concept of rights, factors of rights, nature of rights, etc., thus differentiating my views from existing arguments. Based on this, I concluded that environmental rights are rights belonging to the law of nature, and as such have started out as private rights.
In chapter three, I unfolded a general argument for environmental rights as private rights; namely, the meaning, legal characteristics, the subject, and the object of environmental rights. Environmental rights are a right to enjoy the environment in order to maintain a dignified human life, and a right to actively demand such right from the nation and from individuals. These environmental rights have supreme and categorical characteristics, and may be considered a new private right. As for the subject of rights, I discussed the likelihood of a non-natural person, such as a body corporate or a group without legal claims, establishing subjectivity of rights, together with the natural rights being discussed in other parts of the world. Lastly, in connection with the object of environmental rights, I dealt with newly surfaced rights such as the right to enjoy sunshine, right to view, right to ventilation, etc, in addition to existing rights under discussion, and attempted to categorize these rights.
In the fourth chapter, I discussed the civil remedy for environmental rights infringement. The chapter dealt with the ways to protect environmental rights through civil remedy when the rights are infringed upon by parties claiming the rights' inviolability. The civil remedy was divided into the right to injunction (right A priori), and the right to claim damages (right A posteriori), and I discussed each measure, together with existing theories and judicial precedents. Particularly, right to injunction, which is established prior to infringement, is considered an effective measure given the nature of environmental rights infringement. Moreover, my discussion also involved the questions on alleviating the responsibility to substantiate the claims, which has proved problematic for the right to claim damages; and collaborated illegal activities, which has been a universal problem in the area of tort caused by environmental rights infringement.
In the fifth chapter, I discussed the procedural aspect of relief measures for environmental rights infringement. Presently there are no civil regulations on environmental rights, and the nation needs to take responsibility for protection of such rights. The best institution for carrying out this role should be a court. Regarding the court, I constructed a theory based on Dworkin's theory and the theory of separation of powers. Also, I looked at the procedural aspect and touched on the problematic provisional disposition and class action. As for the effective methods for dealing with environmental disputes, I talked about the statue of environmental dispute mediation which is an alternative dispute resolution measure.
In the sixth chapter, I took up a question of how the environmental rights, reestablished as civil rights as discussed in the body of this thesis, may be subsumed to the existing legislative system. In the end, the assertionI make in this thesis is that the civil aspects of environmental rights must be legislated. Given the unique characteristic of environmental rights that it is not limited to the relationship with simple land matters, I think the most appropriate legislative measures for today is to make provisions for the law of obligations against illegal activities.