UK lawyer calls for recognition of crime of ‘ecocide’

British lawyer Polly Higgins is lobbying for the crime of ‘ecocide’ to be recognised and for Nature to be regarded as a “legal person” with rights that should be protected.
If such a crime is recognised by the international community, CEOs of corporations that cause major environmental damage could be prosecuted and, if found guilty, jailed.
As things stand, the real culprits responsible for crimes against Nature are able to hide behind the fictional ‘person’ of the corporation. If the corporation is found guilty, it is usually fined a paltry amount, which could have already been factored into their cost calculations.
Higgins proposes that crimes of ecocide could be heard in the International Criminal Court, especially in cases where the damage and destruction is transboundary. She wants the Rome Statute to be amended to include ecocide.
Listen to Higgins being interviewed by ABC’s Bush Telegraph.
You can also check out her website.
Here she is speaking around the time of the launch of her book ‘Eradicating Ecocide’:
This idea of giving nature rights is not as far-fetched as it might seem. Bolivia has already approved a ground-breaking law that gives Nature ‘rights’ and encompasses the vision of a radical ecological transformation for the country. Read ‘The Law of Mother Earth: Behind Bolivia’s historic bill’.