The Judicial Development of the Precautionary Principle

摘要

The precautionary principle is the best known and most commonly applied of the principles of ecologically sustainable development (ESD). Nevertheless, the meaning and application of the principle still remains elusive. Courts around the world, through their decisions, have started to develop a body of jurisprudence on ESD and its principles, particularly the precautionary principle. This article summarises how the courts have interpreted and applied the precautionary principle.