SHELL CASE in the Constitutional Court

Coastal communities and environmental organisations are appealing to the Constitutional Court of South Africa to set aside a Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) order that allows the Minister to decide on Shell's latest renewal application for exploration rights. The appellants argue the SCA order is not "just and equitable" because it permits Shell to rectify a failed consultation process from over a decade ago and fails to protect community livelihoods, cultural rights, and the right to a healthy environment. The Constitutional Court hearing is scheduled for 16 and 17 September 2025.

• Wild Coast communities and civil society organisations, including Natural Justice and Greenpeace Africa, are appealing an SCA order that allows Shell to conduct seismic testing on the Wild Coast of South Africa.
• The appellants argue that the SCA's order is legally flawed and unfair because it allows Shell to bypass the failures of a consultation process initiated over ten years ago and does not specify the necessary processes for exploration, such as environmental authorisation.
• The legal challenge asserts that the SCA order fails to protect the human rights of communities, specifically regarding fair administrative action, livelihoods, cultural and spiritual rights, and the constitutional right to a healthy environment.

APA

Natural Justice (n.d.). SHELL CASE in the Constitutional Court. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Shell-Concourt-Factsheet_Final_Aug2025.pdf

Chicago

Natural Justice. SHELL CASE in the Constitutional Court. n.d. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Shell-Concourt-Factsheet_Final_Aug2025.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Natural Justice |title=SHELL CASE in the Constitutional Court |url=https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Shell-Concourt-Factsheet_Final_Aug2025.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{naturaljusticendshell, author = {{Natural Justice}}, title = {{SHELL CASE in the Constitutional Court}}, institution = {Natural Justice}, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Shell-Concourt-Factsheet_Final_Aug2025.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }