Earth Law

Protecting the integrity of the more-than-human world

Did you know that rivers, mountains, and forests (around the world) are gaining rights as legal persons? On every continent, movements are pursuing Earth-centered law and governance while addressing environmental crises. Earth Law, also known as Earth Jurisprudence, is rooted in many Indigenous traditions and has been expressed by scholars like Thomas Berry, who suggests that every member of the Living Earth Community has the right to exist, to live in a healthy habitat, and to participate in the regenerative processes of the Earth community.* This vision for Earth Law and its various cultural expressions are growing worldwide through an impressive range of legal theories and practices. Initiatives like the Rights of Nature, Indigenous-led movements, and science-law partnerships are accomplishing these changes through case law, policy development, international declarations of rights, constitutional amendments, and more. Explore these emerging movements in pursuit of ecological justice for both human and more-than-human communities.

For more information, see the following Overview Essays:

“Overview of Earth Jurisprudence” by Missy Lahren
“Rights of Nature: Principles, Precedents, and the Road Ahead” by Johanna Bernstein

*Thomas Berry, “Ten Principles for Jurisprudence Revision” in Evening Thoughts: Reflecting on Earth as Sacred Community (San Francisco: Sierra Club Books, 2006), 149.