The Performance of Constitutional Environmental Rights: A Case for Further Empirical Study

• Author: Tyson Dyck
• Pages: 163-173



ThePerformanceofConstitutional

EnvironmentalRights

ACASEFOR

FURTHEREMPIRICALSTUDY

Tyson Dyck*

A. INTRODUCTION

Inconsideringwhetherenvironmentalrightsshouldbeenshrinedinthe

Canadian Constitution a n important question is whether such rights

wouldenhanceenvironmentalqualityTodatethereislimitedempirical

evidenceaddressingthisquestionManyargumentsinfavourofconsti

tutionalenvironmentalrightsinsteadrelyontheoreticalpredictionsof

positiveoutcomesorassumetheutilityofsuchrightsOtherarguments

supportconstitutionalenvironmentalrightsbasednotontheirutility

butonabeliefthatsuchrightshaveintrinsicvalueworthyofprotection

inacountrysconstitutionTheselaerargumentsareoutsidethescope

ofthischapterwhichfocusesinsteadontherelationshipbetweencon

stitutionalrightsandenvironmentaloutcomes

 TysonDyckisapartnerintheenvironmentalgroupatTorysLLPandaformer

FulbrightFellowatStanfordLawSchool

 Suchrightshavebeendescribedasprimaryirreduciblehumanrightsasdis

cussedinLyndaMCollinsSafeguardingtheLongueDuréeEnvironmentalRights

intheCanadianConstitutionSupreme Court Law Reviewdat

OsgoodesAnnualConstitutionalCasesConferenceSeealsothedescriptionof

suchrightsashavinghallmarksoftraditionalfundamentalrightsinJamesRMay

ConstitutingFundamentalEnvironmentalRightsWorldwide

Pace Environmental Law ReviewatSeealsotheargumentfortherighttoan

adequateenvironmentasagenuinehumanrightinTimHaywardConstitutional

Environmental RightsOxfordOxfordUniversityPress