Environmental Law Solicitors
Environmental Law Solicitors – Our Firm provides expert advice, analysis and guidance in relation to environmental laws. We have acted for numerous individuals, companies, associations and NGO’s in the environmental field over the past 25 years. Independent, objective and impartial advice informed with knowledge and expertise of the legal principles governing this area of law and the complex provisions that apply are all essential before embarking upon what can be very costly litigation in this area of the law.
The reach of environmental law extends into a multiplicity of activities affecting the entire country of Ireland and the policies, rules, principles and laws governing the area of activities relating to the environment are extremely complex being an interaction of domestic European and International laws which can be of bewildering complexity. We can provide assistance in navigating this labyrinth of complex regulation.
Environmental Law
Planning & Development Law
Judicial Review Litigation
Natural Resources Law
- Wind
- Solar
- Water and Fisheries
- Quarries
- Forestry
- Animal Law Regulation and Welfare
In Need of Exper Environmental Law Solicitors Legal Advice in Ireland?
Planning and Development
Planning law touches upon on the lives of most people. The issues with regard to house construction and residential and commercial development have become infinitely more intricate and complex in recent years. This practice offers expertise in the area of processing Planning Objections and Appeals to local authorities and An Bord Pleanala. In the event that An Bord Pleanála does not uphold the desired outcome recourse may be available to an applicant in certain circumstances to the High Court by way of judicial review.
There is a significantly growing corpus of caselaw and legislation dealing with issues of Planning and Development. The higher Courts frequently have to adjudicate upon Planning disputes particularly having regard to the volume of cases and issues which come before the local authorities and An Bord Pleanala.
Judicial Review Litigation
Decisions of An Bord Pleanála and the Environmental Protection Agency and indeed other administrative bodies may only be challenged by way of Judicial Review. This form of litigation generally takes the form of an application to Court seeking to have a decision made by administrative bodies such as An Bord Pleanala quashed.
This is a specialised form of litigation in which the process is condensed within very short timeframes. The entire case setting out the reliefs being sought and the grounds upon which the reliefs are being sought must all be prepared within a period of eight weeks in respect of planning cases and in respect of three months in respect of other administrative decisions. It is generally not permissible to amend or add grounds to a claim for judicial review after the eight week period. Such litigation requires an intense programme of preparation over a very short space of time in order to formulate the case successfully. The strict nature of time limits in this litigation can be further accentuated if the challenge being brought relates to a strategic infrastructure development which then becomes subject to the rules of the Commercial Court. This is an ever evolving area of the law. Special rules apply in relation to legal costs in respect of environmental cases.
Natural Resources Law
With huge emphasis being placed on environmental issues in terms of clean water, clean air, the production of renewable energy and compliance with climate change obligations, the laws in relation to environmental regulation, protection and enforcement are developing at a rapid rate. Frequently competing interests in this field come into direct conflict. There is an ever growing body of case law developing in relation to the development of windfarms, the development of quarries, water pollution and forestry. Each of the above activities are subject to their own unique statutory regimes and all of same are subject to the overarching requirements of European Directives such as Environmental Impact Assessment Directive 2014/52/EU and the Habitat’s Directive 92/43/EEC
