The Stop Ecocide movement is inspired by years of work and research by visionary lawyer, Polly Higgins, who saw that creating an international crime of ecocide would be the most powerful and effective means of protecting the Earth. The movement continues to be supported, promoted and energised by far-sighted, passionate lawyers across the world.
Legal Definition of Ecocide
In June 2021, the Independent Expert Panel, convened by our charitable arm, the Stop Ecocide Foundation concluded its groundbreaking drafting work and a proposed consensus definition of ecocide was announced.
Read the Commentary and Core Text.
Our sister website EcocideLaw.com is a comprehensive resource hub providing a regularly updated collection of adademic and legal material relating to “ecocide” law, including research articles, publications and related topics.
If you are a lawyer, whether practising or academic, and would like to support this groundbreaking movement, add your name and email below in order to receive email updates and calls to action.
The more the legal world gets behind establishing ecocide crime, the more powerful the momentum to do so will become.
Some of the lawyers supporting ecocide law
Philippe Sands KC (UK)
Co-Chair, Independent Expert Panel
University College London / Matrix Chambers; author, East West Street: On the Origins of Genocide and Crimes against Humanity
Dior Fall Sow (Senegal)
Co-Chair, Independent Expert Panel
UN jurist and former prosecutor
Kate Mackintosh (US/UK)
Deputy Chair, Independent Expert Panel
Executive Director, Promise Institute for Human Rights, UCLA School of Law
Richard Rogers (UK)
Deputy Chair, Independent Expert Panel
Partner, Global Diligence; Executive Director, Climate Counsel
Valérie Cabanes (France)
Independent Expert Panel
International jurist and human rights expert
Christina Voigt (Norway)
Independent Expert Panel
University of Oslo
Pable Fajardo (Ecuador)
Independent Expert Panel
Environmental lawyer
Rodrigo Lledó (Spain/Chile)
Independent Expert Panel
Américas Director, Stop Ecocide International
Syeda Rizwana Hasan (Bangladesh)
Independent Expert Panel
Director, Bangladesh Environmental Law Association
Charles C Jalloh (Sierra Leone)
Independent Expert Panel
Professor, Florida International University/UN International Law Commission
Tuiloma Neroni Slade (Samoa)
Independent Expert Panel
Former ICC judge
Alex Whiting (US)
Independent Expert Panel
Former International Criminal Court prosecutions coordinator; Professor, Harvard Law School
Michael Mansfield KC (UK)
Barrister and head of chambers at Nexus Chambers.
Balthazar Garzon (Spain)
Stop Ecocide International Advisory Board
International criminal lawyer, former judge in Spain’s
Audiencia Nacional
Paolo Busse (Brazil)
Criminal, environmental and human rights lawyer at Climate Counsel
James Gondi (Kenya)
Africa High Level Coordinator, Stop Ecocide International
Human rights and democratic governance lawyer
Babs Verhoeve (Belgium)
Stop Ecocide NL Director
Climate law and policy lawyer
Margaretha Wewerinke-Singh (Netherlands and Fiji)
Stop Ecocide International Advisory Board
Asst Law Professor / Senior Lecturer, Universities of Leiden / South Pacific
Jan van de Venis (NL)
Stop Ecocide International Advisory Board
Human Rights and Rights of Nature Lawyer
Femke Wijdekop (Netherlands)
Faith for Ecocide Law
Legal counsel & communications specialist
Judith Alkema (Netherlands)
Ecocide law ambassador
Environmental law and policy lawyer
Shirleen Chin (Netherlands)
Strategic projects for Stop Ecocide Netherlands
Consultant in Environment, International Criminal Law, Anti-Corruption and Corporate Governance
Roger Cox (NL)
Lawyer and author
Darryl Robinson (Ireland)
Professor, Queen's University, Gold Medalist at the University of Western Ontario Faculty of Law and Jerome Lipper Award winner
Ukpeme Okon (Nigeria/US)
Peace Ambassador, Barrister, Author, Musician
Anna Maddrick (UK/Italy)
Legal Analyst, Stop Ecocide International
Dr. Miguel Angel Asturias (Argentina)
Professor of criminal law and environmental crime at the University of Belgrano