Centre for Environmental Justice
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| පරිසර යුක්ති කේන්ද්රය | |
| Abbreviation | CEJ |
|---|---|
| Formation | 2004 |
| Type | Non-governmental organisation |
| Purpose | Environmental conservation Environmental Justice |
| Headquarters | Colombo |
| Location |
|
| Methods | Awareness, Advocacy, Legal Aid, Litigation |
Key people | Hemantha Withanage, Ravindranath Dabare |
| Website | ejustice.lk |
Centre for Environmental Justice is an environmental conservation and public interest litigation organisation in Sri Lanka.[1][2][3] The organisation is a member of the Friends of the Earth International network which is the world's largest international grassroots environmental network.
Illegal waste exports
In 2019, the Centre for Environmental Justice filed for legal action to repatriate waste containers illegally exported to Sri Lanka from the UK.[4][5] After a year-long case, the court ordered the illegal waste to be sent back to the UK.[6][7][8] An agency was set up thereafter to investigate illegal waste exports.[9]
Kallaru Forest Reserve case
The Centre for Environmental Justice filed a writ application in court against the illegal clearing of the Kallaru Forest Reserve,[10][11] adjacent to the Wilpattu National Park and the construction of a housing project. In the winning judgement,[12][13] the Court of Appeal in Sri Lanka for the first time exercised the 'polluter-pays-principle' under environmental law against the Minister responsible for the forest clearing, as opposed to administrative law remedies.[14][15]
As a result, the cleared area was set to be reforested[16][17] and is currently being replanted as per the judgement.[18]