Two environmental activists were convicted in a Nanaimo court for civil disobedience, with the judge ruling that the climate crisis does not justify breaking the law.
Peter Fairley reports for The Tyee.
In short:
- The activists presented a necessity defense, arguing that climate change justifies their actions, but the judge disagreed.
- The judge acknowledged climate change as an existential threat but said it didn't meet the standard of imminent danger required to excuse illegal acts.
- Despite the conviction, activists see progress, as the trial marked the first time climate activists presented expert testimony for a necessity defense.
Key quote:
“I’ve no doubt on the evidence that climate change constitutes an existential threat to life in Canada and everywhere else in the world.”
— Judge Ronald Lamperson, Provincial Court Judge
Why this matters:
The case highlights the ongoing debate over the appropriate response to climate change with this court ruling that the peril of climate change was not sufficiently imminent and unavoidable to justify the activism. Read more: Youth v. Montana — Young adults speak up.
