Scotland could become one of the first countries to establish a specific crime for mass environmental destruction as championed by late Scots barrister Polly Higgins.
Plans or a groundbreaking new "ecocide" law in Scotland to punish those who destroy nature have been hailed by campaigners.
Jojo Mehta, executive director of Stop Ecocide International, told the Record the law could capture a wide array of polluting acts - targeting individuals rather than corporations. But Mehta said plans for a specific Scots law would be like the “concept coming home” due to the links to Higgins. But closer to home, she highlighted the example of sewage being dumped in our rivers in huge quantities by water companies - a growing problem in both Scotland and the UK.
But she said it could potentially be used on new schemes if they get approved - like the massive Rosebank oil field planned off Shetland. Mehta said it was now up to politicians to continue Scotland’s “history of being a pioneer” - and not to allow discussion over ecocide to descend into “party-political” squabbling.
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