ELI has conducted many programs in Central and South America and the Caribbean. A common theme in many of these locations is the threat to biodiversity by deforestation and other habitat destruction from a variety of causes, including development and infrastructure projects and contamination of fragile forest, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. In some of these countries, such as Jamaica, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, post-colonial conflict and political instability have slowed the development of modern environmental and natural resource laws and institutions, which are important tools for protecting biodiversity. And while some nations have improved their biodiversity and natural resource laws and institutions, to be effective, the laws must be enforced and access to judicial remedies secured. As Minister Antonio Benjamin of the Supreme Federal Tribunal of Brazil said to ELI, "to protect the environment, environmental law is essential and judges are essential to ensure that environmental law is effective, but judges rarely understand environmental law."
Programs:
Mexico
- Management of Scientific Evidence and Environmental Damages, Mexican Institute of the Federal Judiciary (Mexico City, Mexico -- 2013)
- Program in Judicial Specialization for the Protection of Environmental Rights Supreme Court of Justice of Mexico (Mexico City, Mexico and Washington, DC -- 2012)
- Seminar on Mexican Environmental and Biodiversity Law for Judges (La Paz and Mexicali, Mexico -- 2009)
United States
- Judicial Training Course for Florida Judges (Tampa, FL -- 1995)
- Southwestern Judges Training (Albuquerque, NM -- 1993)
- Course on Environmental Law and Science for Ohio Judges (1993)
- Environmental Law in Virginia, at the Judicial Conference of Virginia (1992)
- Environmental Law: Legal Issues and Theories, Environmental Restoration, and Environmental Science: Legal Implications and Applications for the New Jersey Judicial College (1992)
- New England Judges Conference on Environmental Law (Boston, MA -- 1991)
Caribbean
- Biodiversity Conservation and Environmental Law for Magistrates (Jacmel, Haiti -- 2012)
- Judicial Training Program in Environmental Law for Resident Magistrates (including judges from Guyana, Bermuda, and Trinidad and Tobago) (Montego Bay, Jamaica -- 2011)
- Pilot Judicial Training Course in Biodiversity Protection for Judges in Jamaica, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic -- 2009)
Central and South America
- Second Workshop on Environment for Judges (Santiago, Chile -- 2009)
- First Workshop on Environmental Issues for Judges (Santiago, Chile -- 2006)
- Workshop for Judges on the Application of Environmental Legal Norms (Pilar, Encarnación, and Ciudad del Este, Paraguay -- 2005)
- Course in U.S. Environmental Law for Brazilian Judges, Public Prosecutors and Brazilian State Attorneys (Washington, DC -- 1999
- "Enforcement of Environmental Law" and "Damage to Natural Resources," for the Judicial School of Costa Rica (1998)
- Environmental Law Conference for Federal Judges (Sao Paulo, Brazil -- 1997)
- Environmental Law Course for Sao Paulo Judges (Intervales State Park, Sao Paulo, Brazil -- 1997)
- International Amazonian Judicial Training Conference (including judges from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru) (Manaus, Brazil -- 1996)
- Environmental Law for Judges (Cuiaba, Brazil -- 1995)
- Honduran Public Prosecutors and Judges Environmental Law Training (Honduras -- 1995)