Special Lecture

• Date & Time: Thursday, 6 December, 2018, 14:00-15:30
• Place: International Conference Room(#303),  SNUAC(Bldg#101)
• Speaker: Professor Jihoon Lee (HK Research Professor, Inst. of Indian Studies, Hankuk Univ. of Foreign Studies)
• Hosts: SNUAC South Asia Center
• Inquiry: Jiyeon Hwang / quteson@snu.ac.kr

On December 6, 2018, the special lecture hosted by SNUAC South Asia Center invited HK Research Professor Jihoon Lee from the Institute of Indian Studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies on “Legal and Institutional Changes for Environmental Laws in India.”

Professor Lee began the lecture by emphasizing the existence of the National Green Tribunal in India where legal judgments are rendered regarding the violation of the basic rights via environmental means. He continued that there are very few countries including Australia and New Zealand that sought to establish specialized environmental court. The developed nations generally apply equal importance to economic development and environmental protection. However, the developing countries including India generally place more importance on economic development. Nevertheless, India began to reconceptualize the environment in order to fulfill its national responsibility with respect to the environment after the 1972 Stockholm Conference. Thus, the environment was reconceptualized as something to be protected legislatively after the conference. In this context, the heightened role of the judicial activists, along with the relaxation of Locus Standi, in regards to environmental right and law was further examined. Discussions on NGT’s significance in environmental enforcement and compliance, as well as its prospects as a role model for enactment of similar tribunal in the other developing countries followed afterwards. The lecture ended with Professor Lee’s comparative analysis on the similarities between the problems India has experienced in the past and Korea’s current situation with respect to environmental laws.