LAWYERS FOR COMMUNITIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Natural Justice is an African organisation dedicated to social and environmental justice, employing a "Litigation Plus" approach that combines legal empowerment, research, policy influence, and strategic litigation. In 2024, the organisation supported over 30 strategic lawsuits across Africa, including successful challenges against Shell's seismic testing in South Africa and the annulment of an Environmental Impact Assessment for Sosian Energy Ltd in Kenya. The organisation also focuses on securing land tenure, protecting indigenous biocultural heritage in Namibia and Madagascar, and defending environmental defenders, notably supporting 180 activists through an emergency fund, including those protesting the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) in Uganda. Additionally, Natural Justice engages in global policy advocacy at UN biodiversity and climate summits to promote human rights-based approaches to conservation and energy transitions.

• Natural Justice employs a "Litigation Plus" integrated approach consisting of legal empowerment, research, policy influence, and legal action to help communities "know, use and shape the law".
• In 2024, the organisation supported or led more than 30 strategic lawsuits across Africa in national, administrative, and regional courts to fight systemic injustices affecting indigenous peoples and local communities.
• A significant legal victory was achieved in South Africa's High Court against Shell's seismic testing, which established a link between fossil fuel extraction and violations of constitutional rights to food, culture, and a healthy environment.
• In Kenya, Natural Justice successfully obtained the annulment of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) granted to Sosian Energy Ltd, with the court recognising the relevance of climate impact studies.
• The organisation supports the protection of indigenous heritage through Biocultural Community Protocols (BCP) and biodiversity registers, with active processes in Namibia (Ovaherero community), Madagascar, and Senegal.
• Natural Justice's African Environmental Defenders Initiative (AEDI) provided emergency funding to 180 defenders across Africa, including 123 activists arrested for protesting the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) in Uganda.
• In Mozambique, the organisation's advocacy led to the inclusion of the concept of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) in the new land law for the first time in the country's history.

APA

Natural Justice (n.d.). LAWYERS FOR COMMUNITIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Presentation-de-Natural-Justice.pdf

Chicago

Natural Justice. LAWYERS FOR COMMUNITIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT. n.d. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Presentation-de-Natural-Justice.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Natural Justice |title=LAWYERS FOR COMMUNITIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT |url=https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Presentation-de-Natural-Justice.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{naturaljusticendlawyers, author = {{Natural Justice}}, title = {{LAWYERS FOR COMMUNITIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT}}, institution = {Natural Justice}, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Presentation-de-Natural-Justice.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }