Foreword to the first edition

• Author: Constance Hunt
• Profession: Alberta Court of Appeal
• Pages: 15-16

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FOR EWORD

to the First Edition

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

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

that subject matter was considered at all, it was t hrough, at most, passing

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

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

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

are speciali zed law reports and journals, loose-leaf serv ices, news-

letters, casebooks, and national and provincial organi zations devoted

to research, education, and law reform. Thi s f‌lurry of activit y ref‌lects

society’s recognition of the importance of the environment. It also

ref‌lects the fact that law i s one of the tools essential to env ironmental

protection. Every day, courts and other tribunal s in our country are

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

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

ensuring th at our children will h ave 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 explan ation of law

and legal systems. Academics are able to specialize in a way t hat most

judges cannot. Judges must resolve specif‌ic case s; academics can take

the long, wide view. I often turn to books and article s 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.