, LEG2601 Assignment 1 Semester 1 2026 - DUE 13 April 2026; 100%
CORRECT AND TRUSTED SOLUTIONS
QUESTION
Critically evaluate how the environmental legal framework relates to morals
and societal values
1. Introduction
Environmental degradation has emerged as one of the most pressing challenges
facing modern societies. Issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss,
pollution, deforestation and water scarcity threaten not only ecological systems
but also human health, economic stability and social justice. In response, societies
have developed various mechanisms to regulate human interaction with the
natural environment. Among these mechanisms are social norms, moral and
ethical principles, cultural practices, and formal legal frameworks. While these
systems often overlap and influence one another, they differ fundamentally in
nature, authority and effectiveness.
In South Africa, environmental protection is not only a moral or ethical concern
but also a constitutional imperative. Section 24 of the Constitution of the
Republic of South Africa, 1996 entrenches the environmental right, placing a
positive duty on the state to protect the environment for present and future
generations. This right is operationalised through an extensive environmental
legal framework, including legislation such as the National Environmental
Management Act 107 of 1998 (NEMA) and various sector-specific environmental
statutes.
This discussion critically evaluates how the environmental legal framework relates
to morals and societal values. It begins by examining the relationship between
environmental law and moral and ethical considerations. It then distinguishes
environmental law from other social norms, such as cultural practices and ethical
behaviour. Finally, it analyses how the environmental legal framework, as
opposed to informal social norms, gives concrete effect to the environmental
right enshrined in South Africa’s Constitution. The discussion argues that while
CORRECT AND TRUSTED SOLUTIONS
QUESTION
Critically evaluate how the environmental legal framework relates to morals
and societal values
1. Introduction
Environmental degradation has emerged as one of the most pressing challenges
facing modern societies. Issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss,
pollution, deforestation and water scarcity threaten not only ecological systems
but also human health, economic stability and social justice. In response, societies
have developed various mechanisms to regulate human interaction with the
natural environment. Among these mechanisms are social norms, moral and
ethical principles, cultural practices, and formal legal frameworks. While these
systems often overlap and influence one another, they differ fundamentally in
nature, authority and effectiveness.
In South Africa, environmental protection is not only a moral or ethical concern
but also a constitutional imperative. Section 24 of the Constitution of the
Republic of South Africa, 1996 entrenches the environmental right, placing a
positive duty on the state to protect the environment for present and future
generations. This right is operationalised through an extensive environmental
legal framework, including legislation such as the National Environmental
Management Act 107 of 1998 (NEMA) and various sector-specific environmental
statutes.
This discussion critically evaluates how the environmental legal framework relates
to morals and societal values. It begins by examining the relationship between
environmental law and moral and ethical considerations. It then distinguishes
environmental law from other social norms, such as cultural practices and ethical
behaviour. Finally, it analyses how the environmental legal framework, as
opposed to informal social norms, gives concrete effect to the environmental
right enshrined in South Africa’s Constitution. The discussion argues that while
