Aarhus committee finds UK to be in breach of access to justice rules

摘要

The compliance committee of the Aarhus Convention on access to environmental justice has concluded that the UK is in breach of its obligations.rnIts draft report will add to pressure on the UK to change the way costs are assigned in challenges to environmental decisions. Its conclusions echo many criticisms already made of the UK justice system.rnCosts in the UK of bringing a civil case to court are the greatest in the EU. A single day's expenses can run to tens of thousands of pounds, providing a major barrier to justice, as they can fall entirely on the complainant if a case fails. Such fears mean that many judicial reviews are never brought, weighting the system against individuals and NGOs.