(JA)Court dumps species-as-plaintiff case

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http://www.mainichi.co.jp/english/news/news05.html

 

Wednesday, January 24, 2001

 

Court dumps species-as-plaintiff case

 

Mainichi Shimbun

 

KAGOSHIMA - A court has dismissed a suit that demanded animals of rare

species act as plaintiffs against the development of a golf course in

Amami-Oshima Island, but praised the move that supported conservation of the

island.

 

The Kagoshima District Court on Monday handed down a ruling that maintained

that such special natural species as Amami rabbits, or Amami-no-Kurousagi,

are not qualified as plaintiffs, in dismissing the suit filed by an

environmentalist group called Kankyo Network Amami.

 

The citizens group is set to appeal the ruling. The plaintiffs had demanded

the Kagoshima Prefectural Government revoke permission to develop a golf

course in Amami-Oshima island.

 

The court added, however, an extraordinary opinion that argues the necessity

to discuss the issue among the nation's public, saying, " (The suit) raised a

question on whether the framework of the existing law can be considered

adequate while it only deals with the rescue of the interests of human

beings and corporations. "

 

The heightening of legal appraisal for natural protection owes much to the

activities by the plaintiffs and other environmentalist groups, the ruling

said.