Oposa v Factorian

A 1993 judgment by the Supreme Court of the Republic of the Philippines regarding a petition by minors to cancel timber license agreements to protect the environment for present and future generations.

• The Supreme Court of the Republic of the Philippines ruled in favor of a group of minors who petitioned the Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources to cancel all current timber license agreements in the Philippines and to stop the approval or renewal of new ones.
• The Court determined that the right to a balanced and healthful ecology, while located under the Declaration of Principles and State Policies rather than the Bill of Rights, is not less important than civil and political rights. The Court characterized this right as one of 'self-preservation and self-perpetuation' that exists from the inception of humankind and predates governments and constitutions.
• The Court stated that the explicit inclusion of the rights to health and a balanced and healthful ecology in the fundamental charter was intended to impose a solemn obligation on the state to preserve and protect these rights to prevent future generations from inheriting a 'parched earth incapable of sustaining life'.

APA

Melissa (1993). Oposa v Factorian. Centre for Environmental Rights. https://cer.org.za/virtual-library/judgments/foreign-and-international-courts/oposa-v-factorian

Chicago

Melissa. Oposa v Factorian. Centre for Environmental Rights, 1993. https://cer.org.za/virtual-library/judgments/foreign-and-international-courts/oposa-v-factorian.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Melissa |title=Oposa v Factorian |publisher=Centre for Environmental Rights |date=29 July 1993 |url=https://cer.org.za/virtual-library/judgments/foreign-and-international-courts/oposa-v-factorian |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{melissa1993oposa, author = {Melissa}, title = {{Oposa v Factorian}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {1993}, month = jul, url = {https://cer.org.za/virtual-library/judgments/foreign-and-international-courts/oposa-v-factorian}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }