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From Individual Rights to Collective Remedies - Standing before the European Court of Human Rights in Climate Cases

Björkheim, Lukas LU (2024) JURM02 20242
Department of Law
Faculty of Law
Abstract
The thesis explores the implications of the European Court of Human Rights (“ECtHR” or “Court”) landmark judgement in Verein KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz and Others v. Switzerland, focusing on the Court´s recent interpretation of victim status and its procedural standards for associational standing before it in climate cases. It explores whether the ECtHR´s reasoning and construction of the newly established and implemented criteria for standing in climate cases can be aligned with its established case law and assesses the potential impact of this judgement for future litigants seeking to bring climate-related claims before it.

The thesis employs the legal dogmatic method with the aim to determine whether its historic development on victim... (More)
The thesis explores the implications of the European Court of Human Rights (“ECtHR” or “Court”) landmark judgement in Verein KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz and Others v. Switzerland, focusing on the Court´s recent interpretation of victim status and its procedural standards for associational standing before it in climate cases. It explores whether the ECtHR´s reasoning and construction of the newly established and implemented criteria for standing in climate cases can be aligned with its established case law and assesses the potential impact of this judgement for future litigants seeking to bring climate-related claims before it.

The thesis employs the legal dogmatic method with the aim to determine whether its historic development on victim status, associational standing and exclusion of actio popularis cases can be reconciled with its newly created climate case law. Through a critical evaluation of the Klimaseniorinnen judgment, the thesis not only assesses the explicit reasoning of the Court but also explores its silent implications for future litigants. By analysing what the judgment signifies in practice, beyond the Court’s statements, the study reveals how the ECtHR’s cautious approach of permitting actio popularis cases, with its commitment to provide remedies for climate cases has shaped a sui generis approach to admissibility that restricts more applicants than it intended to in the drafting of the criteria. It further examines how this balance contextually de facto supports and restricts access to justice for individuals and associations that potentially will stand before it at the intersection of human rights and environmental.

In conclusion, the thesis finds that the Klimaseniorinnen judgement poses a major departure from the Court´s case law in aspects of admissibility. In what became to the first successful climate case before the Court, the Court constructed its standing criteria, separate from its previous case law, creating a platform only open to strategic litigation as the pathway for cli-mate litigants. It diverges from its individualistic approach towards a common concern – a collective representation solution. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Denna uppsats undersöker konsekvenserna av Europeiska domstolen för de
mänskliga rättigheternas vägledande dom i målet Verein KlimaSeniorinnen
Schweiz m.fl. mot Schweiz, med fokus på domstolens nya tolkning av
offerstatus och dess processuella kriterier för talerätt i klimatmål. Uppsatsen
undersöker om domstolens resonemang och konstruktion av de nyligen
fastställda och implementerade kriterierna för talerätt i klimatmål kan förenas
med dess etablerade rättspraxis och bedömer den potentiella effekten av
denna dom för framtida parter som vill bringa talan i klimatrelaterade mål
inför domstolen.

Studien använder sig av den rättsdogmatiska metoden i syfte att avgöra om
dess historiska utveckling avseende offerstatus, talerätten... (More)
Denna uppsats undersöker konsekvenserna av Europeiska domstolen för de
mänskliga rättigheternas vägledande dom i målet Verein KlimaSeniorinnen
Schweiz m.fl. mot Schweiz, med fokus på domstolens nya tolkning av
offerstatus och dess processuella kriterier för talerätt i klimatmål. Uppsatsen
undersöker om domstolens resonemang och konstruktion av de nyligen
fastställda och implementerade kriterierna för talerätt i klimatmål kan förenas
med dess etablerade rättspraxis och bedömer den potentiella effekten av
denna dom för framtida parter som vill bringa talan i klimatrelaterade mål
inför domstolen.

Studien använder sig av den rättsdogmatiska metoden i syfte att avgöra om
dess historiska utveckling avseende offerstatus, talerätten för organisationer
och uteslutning av actio popularis-mål kan förenas med dess nyligen skapade
klimaträttspraxis. Genom en kritisk utvärdering av Klimaseniorinnen-domen
bedömer avhandlingen inte bara domstolens uttryckliga resonemang utan
utforskar också dess tysta implikationer för framtida rättstvister. Genom att
analysera vad domen innebär i praktiken, utöver domstolens uttalanden, visar
studien hur Europadomstolens försiktiga inställning till att tillåta actio
popularis-mål, med dess åtagande att tillhandahålla rättsmedel för klimatmål,
har format en strategi för tillåtlighet som begränsar fler sökande än vad som
var avsikten vid utformningen av kriterierna. I rapporten undersöks vidare hur
denna balans i praktiken stödjer och begränsar tillgången till rättslig prövning
för individer och organisationer som potentiellt kommer att ställas inför
domstolen i skärningspunkten mellan mänskliga rättigheter och miljörätt.

Sammanfattningsvis visar studien att Klimaseniorinnen-domen innebär ett
stort avsteg från domstolens rättspraxis i fråga om tillåtlighet. I vad som blev
det första framgångsrika klimatmålet i domstolen konstruerade domstolen
sina kriterier för talerätt, skilda från dess tidigare rättspraxis, och skapade en plattform som nu endast är öppen för strategisk processföring som vägen för
klimatmål. Den avviker från sitt individualistiska synsätt mot en lösning som
sammanfattas i gemensam angelägenhet – kollektiv representation. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Björkheim, Lukas LU
supervisor
organization
course
JURM02 20242
year
type
H3 - Professional qualifications (4 Years - )
subject
keywords
public international law, actio popularis, victim status, locus standi, European Convention on Human Rights, climate litigation, climate change
language
English
id
9180268
date added to LUP
2025-01-28 10:59:40
date last changed
2025-01-28 10:59:40
@misc{9180268,
  abstract     = {{The thesis explores the implications of the European Court of Human Rights (“ECtHR” or “Court”) landmark judgement in Verein KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz and Others v. Switzerland, focusing on the Court´s recent interpretation of victim status and its procedural standards for associational standing before it in climate cases. It explores whether the ECtHR´s reasoning and construction of the newly established and implemented criteria for standing in climate cases can be aligned with its established case law and assesses the potential impact of this judgement for future litigants seeking to bring climate-related claims before it.
 
The thesis employs the legal dogmatic method with the aim to determine whether its historic development on victim status, associational standing and exclusion of actio popularis cases can be reconciled with its newly created climate case law. Through a critical evaluation of the Klimaseniorinnen judgment, the thesis not only assesses the explicit reasoning of the Court but also explores its silent implications for future litigants. By analysing what the judgment signifies in practice, beyond the Court’s statements, the study reveals how the ECtHR’s cautious approach of permitting actio popularis cases, with its commitment to provide remedies for climate cases has shaped a sui generis approach to admissibility that restricts more applicants than it intended to in the drafting of the criteria. It further examines how this balance contextually de facto supports and restricts access to justice for individuals and associations that potentially will stand before it at the intersection of human rights and environmental.

In conclusion, the thesis finds that the Klimaseniorinnen judgement poses a major departure from the Court´s case law in aspects of admissibility. In what became to the first successful climate case before the Court, the Court constructed its standing criteria, separate from its previous case law, creating a platform only open to strategic litigation as the pathway for cli-mate litigants. It diverges from its individualistic approach towards a common concern – a collective representation solution.}},
  author       = {{Björkheim, Lukas}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{From Individual Rights to Collective Remedies - Standing before the European Court of Human Rights in Climate Cases}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}