The Endefense Program launched the “Paralegal Training on Environmental Litigation” on February 22-24, 2016 at the First Pacific Leadership Academy in Antipolo City. The training is one of the components under the Endefense program.
Attended by 36 participants from various Endefense partner-CSOs, they learned about important basic knowledge and skills needed for paralegal work on environmental cases.
The seminar consisted of four parts:
1. Framework, Context and Perspective: environmental situationer, human rights and environmental rights, gender equality in environmental advocacy
2. The Law and Legal System, the Courts and Paralegals: law and the legal system, the judiciary – civil and criminal cases, the rules of court, overview of key environmental laws
3. The Rules of Procedure for Environmental Cases: history and background of special environmental rules, objectives and coverage, innovative features: parties and citizen’s suits, remedies: EPO, TEPO and Writ of Kalikasan, Writ of Continuing Mandamus, damages, Consent Decree
4. Skills: evidence gathering and documentation, legal interview and affidavit-making, overview of arrest, search and seizure, detention and the rights of persons in custody, preparation for trial and case monitoring, metalegal tactics
Facilitators and participants also shared their experiences in dealing with challenges from environmental cases.
The Endefense program is supported by the Foundation for the Philippine Environment (FPE) and Philippine Tropical Forest Conservation Foundation (PTFCF).
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Date: July 7, 2020
