Environmental Law Service
Encyclopedia
Environmental Law Service (ELS) is a Czech
non-governmental organization
of lawyers who use law to further the public interest. Based in Tábor
, its Czech name is Ekologický právní servis (EPS). It has a second office at Brno
.
It was established in 1995 as a volunteer organisation by law students at Masaryk University
. Its "aim is to eliminate cases of unlawful and improper decision-making by state offices in matters of the environment and human rights, to help people gain access to the courts, to build the knowledge and skills of non-profit organizations’ staffs, to expand the ranks of public-interest lawyers, and to help bring about a high-quality legal code." It has a mandate to lobby governments and the United Nations.
ELS/EPS particularly focuses on the defence of the environment and human rights. It monitors and reports on corporate accountability of multinational organisations, and other legal matters of public interest.
It is a member of the European Environmental Bureau, (EEB), Justice and Environment, OECD Watch, the Czech Public Interest Lawyers Association and the Czech environmental umbrella organisation Zelený kruh/ Green Circle.
It publishes and distributes material on legal options for the protection of the environment under the series title Paragrafy pro přírodu (Legislation for Nature).
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
non-governmental organization
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
of lawyers who use law to further the public interest. Based in Tábor
Tábor
Tábor is a city of the Czech Republic, in the South Bohemian Region. It is named after Mount Tabor, which is believed by many to be the place of the Transfiguration of Christ; however, the name became popular and nowadays translates to "camp" or "encampment" in the Czech language.The town was...
, its Czech name is Ekologický právní servis (EPS). It has a second office at Brno
Brno
Brno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
.
It was established in 1995 as a volunteer organisation by law students at Masaryk University
Masaryk University
Masaryk University is the second largest university in the Czech Republic, a member of the Compostela Group and the Utrecht Network. Founded in 1919 in Brno as the third Czech university , it now consists of nine faculties and 42,182 students...
. Its "aim is to eliminate cases of unlawful and improper decision-making by state offices in matters of the environment and human rights, to help people gain access to the courts, to build the knowledge and skills of non-profit organizations’ staffs, to expand the ranks of public-interest lawyers, and to help bring about a high-quality legal code." It has a mandate to lobby governments and the United Nations.
ELS/EPS particularly focuses on the defence of the environment and human rights. It monitors and reports on corporate accountability of multinational organisations, and other legal matters of public interest.
It is a member of the European Environmental Bureau, (EEB), Justice and Environment, OECD Watch, the Czech Public Interest Lawyers Association and the Czech environmental umbrella organisation Zelený kruh/ Green Circle.
It publishes and distributes material on legal options for the protection of the environment under the series title Paragrafy pro přírodu (Legislation for Nature).