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Environmental Public Interest Litigation and the Application of Civil Code

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Environmental Public Interest Litigation in China

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Abstract

China’s environmental public interest litigation has long been plagued by the lack of substantive legal basis. For this, the Civil Code passed in May 2020 added two ecological damage liability provisions to make up. These two clauses are respectively aimed at “restoration” and “compensation”, which together constitute a complete ecological environment damage compensation system, and provide a clear substantive law basis and specific rule guidance for environmental public interest litigation, which is of positive significance. However, these two provisions are still in principle and general. There are still many uncertainties in the legal attribute, the application of punitive damages, the definition of the concept of ecological environmental damage, the proof of causality and other specific aspects, which still need special legislation to improve the situation.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Xi (2016), p. 114.

  2. 2.

    Mingyuan (2016), p. 64.

  3. 3.

    Zhongbin (2020), p. 50.

  4. 4.

    Liming (2020), p. 13.

  5. 5.

    Tao (2013), p. 101.

  6. 6.

    Article 55 of Civil Procedure Law (1991, amended 2007, 2012 and 2017).

  7. 7.

    Article 9, 14, 15, 17, 25, 26, 27 of SPC Interpretation on Several Issues Concerning the Application of Law in Environmental Civil Public Interest Litigation (2015).

  8. 8.

    Zhongmei and Haiyang (2017), p. 125.

  9. 9.

    Gong (2019), p. 136.

  10. 10.

    Mingyuan (2016), p. 94.

  11. 11.

    Xi (2021), p. 1.

  12. 12.

    Xuede (2019), p. 106.

  13. 13.

    Xi (2016), p. 101; Mingyuan (2016), p. 49; Gong (2019), p. 127; Zhongmei and Haiyang (2020), p. 118.

  14. 14.

    Xinbao (2017), p. 68.

  15. 15.

    Liming (2021), p. 224.

  16. 16.

    Kaiyuan (2020), p. 7.

  17. 17.

    Wei (2020), p. 461.

  18. 18.

    Wei (2020), pp. 461–462.

  19. 19.

    Civil Trial Theory Professional Committee of China Trial Theory Society (2020), p. 253.

  20. 20.

    Liming (2021), p. 219.

  21. 21.

    Xuguang (2020), p. 25.

  22. 22.

    Shaokun and Yudong (2020), p. 153.

  23. 23.

    Xuguang (2020), p. 24.

  24. 24.

    Article 1164 of Civil Code.

  25. 25.

    Articles 1165, 1166 of Civil Code.

  26. 26.

    Gong (2019), p.128; Zhongmei and Haiyang (2020), p. 126; Youhai and Qian (2019), p. 69.

  27. 27.

    Chen (2020).

  28. 28.

    Intermediate People’s Court of Shenzhen City (2021).

  29. 29.

    Liming (2021), pp. 221, 223.

  30. 30.

    Xuemin (2020), p. 68.

  31. 31.

    Yongfei (2021), p. 30; Dan (2020), p. 248.

  32. 32.

    Youhai (2022), pp. 29–32.

  33. 33.

    Xiaoran (2018), p. 52; Weixing and Yulin (2021), p. 94.

  34. 34.

    Shuyi and Lin (2017), p. 64.

  35. 35.

    Xiaogang (2021), p. 1.

  36. 36.

    Article 55 of Civil Procedure Law (1991, amended 2007, 2012 and 2017); Article 17 of SPC Several Provisions on the Trial of Cases on Ecological Damage Compensation (for Trial Implementation) (2019, amended 2020).

  37. 37.

    Hui (2014), p. 58; Gong (2016), p. 16; Zhanwen (2019), p. 119.

  38. 38.

    Zhiping (2020), p. 185.

  39. 39.

    Xuede (2019), p. 106.

  40. 40.

    Gong (2016), p. 26.

  41. 41.

    Youhai (2022), p. 32.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Peking University Law School, Beijing, China

    Gu Gong

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  1. Gu Gong
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Law School of Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China

    Xi Wang

  2. School of Law & Justice, University of Southern Queensland, Ipswich, QLD, Australia

    Xiaobo Zhao

  3. School of Law and Justice, University of Southern Queensland, Ipswich, QLD, Australia

    Noeleen McNamara

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Gong, G. (2023). Environmental Public Interest Litigation and the Application of Civil Code. In: Wang, X., Zhao, X., McNamara, N. (eds) Environmental Public Interest Litigation in China. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-26526-6_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-26526-6_6

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