‘Writing for impact’
Toetsing van:
Engels
HBR-2-OM-18-MI
Hogeschool Leiden Opleiding HBO-Rechten
Naam
Studentnummer
Reguliere kans
Klas
1
, Ecocide
Polly Higgens was a UK based barrister, author, and lead expert on Ecocide law. She began her career
as a lawyer in London where she became specialized in corporate and employment law. Her training
began in the criminal courts and expanded to civil law practice. During a case, she realized that the
earth was not being represented. She discovered that there was no law to protect the earth, this had
to change. (Polly Higgens, n.d.) (AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR, BARRISTER & ECOCIDE LAW EXPERT
(1968 – 2019), n.d.)
Higgens is known as the lawyer of the earth because she believes the earth has rights, just as humans
do. She spent the last decade making the word ‘ecocide’ globally understood by giving speeches,
making documentaries, and advising governments. Her goal is to give ecocide legal definition. Which
means criminalizing mass destruction and creating a legal duty of care. The word goes back to the
1970s, but Polly has given it a legal definition. According to her, ecocide is ‘the extensive destruction,
damage to or loss of ecosystem(s) of a given territory, whether by the human agency or by other
causes, to such an extent that peaceful enjoyment by the inhabitants of that territory has been
severely diminished’. (Relevant Internation Crime History, n.d.)
Crimes Against Humanity, War Crimes, Genocide, and Crimes of aggression are known as the four
international crimes against peace. Common laws must come in line with them. Higgens thinks
Ecocide should be the fifth international crime. The laws we have now are laws that protect the
wellbeing of human life. However, ecocide expands the circle of concern to the well-being of all life.
(CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY, WAR CRIMES, GENOCIDE AND THE CRIME OF AGGRESSION
SUMMARY, n.d.)
Higgens believes ecocide should be recognized as a crime at the International Criminal Court. Any
member state can submit an amendment to the International Criminal Court’s governing document:
The Rome Statute. When the amendment gets a two-thirds majority, it can be adopted. As of today,
there is no such law towards the earth. This means that corporations are free to destroy
environments in the pursuit of profit without the fear of prosecution. The Athabasca oil sands, the
Nickel mines, and the Amazon Deforestation are all examples of environmental destruction by the
industry on a massive scale. (PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE ROME STATUTE, n.d.)
I think it is a good idea to make laws for the earth. People will always put profit first, and it is crucial
to look at the outgrowths for them to change. We as humans must solve the problem instead of
cleaning up the consequences. It doesn’t matter if the destruction of the earth is unintentional. What
matters is that it causes significant harm. And that should be a crime.
2
Toetsing van:
Engels
HBR-2-OM-18-MI
Hogeschool Leiden Opleiding HBO-Rechten
Naam
Studentnummer
Reguliere kans
Klas
1
, Ecocide
Polly Higgens was a UK based barrister, author, and lead expert on Ecocide law. She began her career
as a lawyer in London where she became specialized in corporate and employment law. Her training
began in the criminal courts and expanded to civil law practice. During a case, she realized that the
earth was not being represented. She discovered that there was no law to protect the earth, this had
to change. (Polly Higgens, n.d.) (AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR, BARRISTER & ECOCIDE LAW EXPERT
(1968 – 2019), n.d.)
Higgens is known as the lawyer of the earth because she believes the earth has rights, just as humans
do. She spent the last decade making the word ‘ecocide’ globally understood by giving speeches,
making documentaries, and advising governments. Her goal is to give ecocide legal definition. Which
means criminalizing mass destruction and creating a legal duty of care. The word goes back to the
1970s, but Polly has given it a legal definition. According to her, ecocide is ‘the extensive destruction,
damage to or loss of ecosystem(s) of a given territory, whether by the human agency or by other
causes, to such an extent that peaceful enjoyment by the inhabitants of that territory has been
severely diminished’. (Relevant Internation Crime History, n.d.)
Crimes Against Humanity, War Crimes, Genocide, and Crimes of aggression are known as the four
international crimes against peace. Common laws must come in line with them. Higgens thinks
Ecocide should be the fifth international crime. The laws we have now are laws that protect the
wellbeing of human life. However, ecocide expands the circle of concern to the well-being of all life.
(CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY, WAR CRIMES, GENOCIDE AND THE CRIME OF AGGRESSION
SUMMARY, n.d.)
Higgens believes ecocide should be recognized as a crime at the International Criminal Court. Any
member state can submit an amendment to the International Criminal Court’s governing document:
The Rome Statute. When the amendment gets a two-thirds majority, it can be adopted. As of today,
there is no such law towards the earth. This means that corporations are free to destroy
environments in the pursuit of profit without the fear of prosecution. The Athabasca oil sands, the
Nickel mines, and the Amazon Deforestation are all examples of environmental destruction by the
industry on a massive scale. (PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE ROME STATUTE, n.d.)
I think it is a good idea to make laws for the earth. People will always put profit first, and it is crucial
to look at the outgrowths for them to change. We as humans must solve the problem instead of
cleaning up the consequences. It doesn’t matter if the destruction of the earth is unintentional. What
matters is that it causes significant harm. And that should be a crime.
2
