Foreword to the first edition

• Author: Constance Hunt
• Pages: 15-16

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FOREWORD

TO THE FIRST EDITION

When I graduated from law school in 1972, nowhere in the curriculum

could one f‌ind a course called Environmental Law. To the extent that

that subject-matter was considered at all, it was through, at most, pass-

ing reference in courses such as Municipal Law, Torts, or International

La w.

Twenty-f‌ive years later, the scene is remark ably changed. All Can-

adian law schools offer at least one such course. Many offer more. There

are specialized law reports and journals, loose-leaf services, news-

letters, ca sebooks, and national a nd provincial organizations devoted

to research, education, and law reform. This f‌lurr y of activity ref‌lects

society’s recognition of the importance of the env ironment. It also re-

f‌lects the fact that law is one of the tools essential to env ironmental

protection. Ever y day, courts and other tribunals in our country are

called on to resolve disputes among parties such as governments, agen-

cies, business, and private citi zens, each of whom has a role to play in

ensuring that our children will have a clean, healthy, and esthetically

acceptable planet on which to reside.

As a judge, I appreciate the immense contribution made by my for-

mer academic colleagues to the clarif‌ication and ex planation of law

and legal system s. Academics are able to specia lize in a way that most

judges cannot. Judges must resolve specif‌ic cases; academics can take

the long, wide view. I often t urn to books and articles written by aca-

demic commentators to help me understand both the narrow and the

broad aspects of a case t hat I have to decide.