This press release announces a 2018 ruling by the Uttarakhand High Court in India which declares that all animals, “including avian and aquatic,” have legal personhood and associated rights. This bold declaration marked a watershed moment for animal welfare and for the widening circle of moral concern, and it signaled a shift toward recognition of more-than-human communities as participants in the legal and ethical fabric of society. Although the Supreme Court of India overturned the ruling in 2023, the vision it articulated still reverberates and invites ongoing reflection on how law and culture may evolve to honor the intrinsic value of all living things.

Indian courts have begun incorporating elements of Earth Jurisprudence, such as granting legal personhood to natural entities and applying the “polluter pays” principle, to address environmental harms, though these developments remain inconsistent and fragmented. High-profile examples include the Uttarakhand High Court’s recognition of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers as legal persons, and the National Green Tribunal’s fines against polluting corporations like Volkswagen. While India still lacks a cohesive legal framework to enforce corporate accountability, these judicial actions signal a growing openness to Earth-centric legal thinking and suggest a foundation on which more robust environmental protections could emerge.

In August 2024, South Korea’s Constitutional Court ruled that the nation’s climate law violated the rights of future generations. Youth activists filed the lawsuits that led to the decision, and the court ordered the government to revise the law by early 2026. The ruling marked Asia’s first major climate justice decision and affirmed climate protection as a constitutional right.

Learn more about Japan’s first youth-led climate lawsuit in which children and young adults challenge government inaction on climate change. This piece highlights the legal arguments used, international precedents cited, and the broader significance for youth climate activism in Asia.

In tracing the evolution of India’s environmental justice movements, this article emphasizes the grassroots resistance led by marginalized communities. The author explores the interplay of caste, class, and environmental harm in a way that situates India’s ecological struggles within a broader framework of social justice.

This curated guide from the Bodleian Law Library offers an overview of key legal resources on environmental law across various Asian jurisdictions. It includes databases, legislation, case law, and commentary that supports comparative legal research and regional environmental scholarship.