First environmental court in Galapagos

The director of the Council of the judiciary (CJ for its spanish acronym) Benjamín Pineda, corroborated that the Galapagos Islands will be the first tribunal specializing in environmental matters of the country.

According to Pineda, create this unit is part of  the Judicial Council plans in Quito, despite saying not know when will be implemented.

On September 3, Doris Gallardo, General Director of the Judicial Council, announced the news and underlined, that it was a “pilot court” to guarantee the rights of nature, according to a bulletin of the NGO Fundar Galapagos.

Carlos Zapata, director of the NGO points out that several sectors have requested an Environmental Court  since 2010 because of the need  of specialized judges, especially in a jurisdiction with a special regime and two natural protected areas.

Pineda indicates that environmental violations are handled in two units that exist in the island.

Fundar Galapagos, points out that the Prosecutor’s Office in the region has a unit specializing in that matter, since 2010.

A publication by the month of August by the Ecuadorian Centre for Environmental Law, concludes that “the effective implementation of the rights of nature” requires a specific law and jurisprudence.