CHINESE COURTS GRANT SPECIAL STATUS TO ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS
01/20/2015
China's Supreme People's Court, the country's highest tribunal, recently announced new rules aimed at helping environmental organizations bring illegal polluters to court. The rules grant special status to NGOs and government backed social groups, reduce court fees, and allow organizations to sue polluters across China, regardless of where the plaintiff organization is based. The changes were announced one month after record fines were imposed on six Chinese companies following litigation initiated by a government-backed social group. For the full story, see http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jan/07/china-encourages-environmental-groups-to-sue-polluters.