The Environmental Case Law Index is a collection of judgments from 10 African countries on topics relating to environmental law, both substantive and procedural. The collection focuses on cases where an environmental interest interacts with governmental or private interests.
Get started on finding judgments that are relevant to you by browsing the topic list on the left of the screen. Click the arrows next to the topic names to reveal a detailed list of sub-topics. Most judgments are accompanied by a short summary written by subject-area expert postgraduate students from the University of Cape Town.
Read also JIFA's Environmental Country Reports for SADC
Water Resources Management Authority v Kensalt Limited [2014] eKLR (Elc Civil Case 28 of 2013); (17 October 2014); 
Attribution of Costs Costs Civil Remedies Constitutional Interpretation Constitutional Law Locus standi in environmental litigation Litigation of environmental issues Environmental law Use of coastal and marine areas Water and coasts Environmental law Healthy environment Substantive rights Human Rights EL IndexThe plaintiff was claiming outstanding water use charges together with interest from the defendant.
The court determined if sea water can be owned or managed, and if so by which statutory body. The court held that art 260 of the Constitution defined land to include marine waters in the territorial sea and thus disagreed with the defendant’s argument that sea water is not capable of ownership. It was further held that the National Land Commission was the only body empowered to administer and manage the territorial sea, the exclusive economic zone and the sea bed on behalf of the people of Kenya.
The court noted that the Water Act and the Water Resources Management Rules lacked specific provisions that included sea water as a water resource for the purpose of levying charges for the use of sea water. It was therefore held that the plaintiff lacked the locus standi to levy charges for use of sea water.
Accordingly, the case was struck out with costs to the plaintiff.
KWANZA ESTATES LTD v KENYA WILDLIFE SERVICES [2013] eKLR (Civil Case 133 of 2012); (08 March 2013); Temporary Injunction Injuctions and interdicts Civil Remedies Precautionary and preventive principles Concepts and principles Environmental law Environmental impact and risk assessment Environmental decision-making Environmental law Public participation Human and environmental rights Environmental law Use of coastal and marine areas Water and coasts Environmental law EL IndexThe matter dealt with an application seeking an order that the defendant be temporarily restrained from erecting, constructing and or use of the public toilet on the beach front near the plaintiff’s resort.
The court considered whether the plaintiff established a prima facie case with a probability of success to warrant the grant of a temporary injunction. The principle of public participation informs the requirement of submission of an Environmental Impact Assessment Report which gives individuals such as the applicant a voice in issues that may bear directly on their health and welfare and entitlement to a clean environment. In the absence of the report for the construction of the toilets approved by the National Environment Management Authority, the court held that the plaintiff established a prima facie case with chances of success.
The court considered whether the construction of the public toilet next to the resort would cause adverse environmental effect thus devaluing the plaintiff's otherwise prime property. The court has the constitutional duty, at Article 70 (2) of the Constitution to prevent, stop or discontinue any act or omissions that is harmful to the environment. Accordingly, the court held that unless the order of injunction was granted as prayed, the plaintiff, and the users of the beach and the ocean were likely to suffer irreparable damage if the toilets were used before proper mechanisms were put in place to mitigate the environmental pollution that may have occurred.
The application was granted.
Kensalt Limited v Water Resources Management Authority [2018] eKLR (PETITION (APPLICATION) NO. 8 OF 2016); (31 August 2018); Locus standi in environmental litigation Litigation of environmental issues Environmental law Use of coastal and marine areas Water and coasts Environmental law EL IndexThe two applicants were seeking an order for joinder in a substantive appeal by the petitioner. The court considered whether the applicants ought to be joined to the appeal as interested parties. The appeal dealt with the lawfulness of charges levied against the appellant and the applicants for the use of sea water.
In deciding the case, the court relied on the case of Francis Kariuki Muruatetu and Another v. Republic and Four Others which set out guiding principles when seeking to be joined to proceedings as an interested party. The rule stated that the party seeking to be enjoined must move the court through a formal application and must place sufficient grounds before the court namely: the personal interests that the party has in the matter; the prejudice that the interested party will suffer; and the relevance of the submissions the party seeks to rely on in the case.
In dismissing the application for joinder, the court held that the applicants expressed no interest in the matter during the lower courts. Furthermore, the court held that the applicants could bring their own application since there was no order of stay of proceedings in place. Lastly, it held that the applicants did not stand to suffer or incur any prejudice in the matter. Accordingly, the court dismissed the applications with costs.
Gongqose and Others v Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Others, Gongqose and S EL Index Offences in relation to indigenous species Criminal offences in environmental law Environmental law African customary law and rights of indigenous peoples Human and environmental rights Environmental law Use of coastal and marine areas Water and coasts Environmental law Protected areas (general) Environmental decision-making Environmental law
Fenu and Others Vrs Attorney General and Others (J4/40/2018) [2018] GHASC 71 (17 October 2018); EL Index Attribution of Costs Costs Civil Remedies Injunction Injuctions and interdicts Civil Remedies Use of coastal and marine areas Water and coasts Environmental law Land use Human exploitation of the environment Environmental lawThe court considered an appeal against the decision of the Court of Appeal, staying the proceedings of the High Court.
The origin of the appeal was an application for a mandatory injunction, against the respondent, for disturbing the “natural calm flow” of the Volta River, into the sea, while executing their contractual obligations (marine reclamation). The Respondent appealed 3 interlocutory applications in the High Court, which appeals were still pending.
The stay was granted to the respondents following an application for judgment to be entered against them.
The appellant raised six grounds of appeal, however the court held that the determination of one main issue would dispose of the appeal. Thus, the court had to determine whether the Court of Appeal erred in granting the stay of proceedings.
The court noted that all the interlocutory orders were on appeal before the Court of Appeal. The court found that the court of appeal was right to halt the proceedings, since the determination of the interlocutory orders could have a serious effect on the case before the High Court.
It was further noted that an order staying proceedings is interlocutory, and discretionary and should not be interfered with unless it might result in serious injustice. The court found that the appellant failed to demonstrate that the discretion exercised would result to injustice.
Accordingly, the appeal was dismissed.
Figuerido v Swaziland Electricity Board (1/1972) [1973] SZSC 1 (13 November 1973); EL Index Attribution of Costs Costs Civil Remedies Protected areas (general) Environmental decision-making Environmental law Use of coastal and marine areas Water and coasts Environmental law Freshwater use Water and coasts Environmental law |
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