Lawyers’ association makes objections to proposed Forest Act amendments

Joining the chorus against the proposed amendments to the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, the All-India Lawyers’ Association for Justice (AILAJ), an association of lawyers, legal professionals and law

Joining the chorus against the proposed amendments to the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, the All-India Lawyers’ Association for Justice (AILAJ), an association of lawyers, legal professionals and law students from across India, has written to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change with its objections.

Beginning with the procedural objections, the association has said that the consultation paper was issued at a time when India was just recovering from the massive COVID-19 pandemic. This has resulted in a situation where key stakeholders to the proposed amendments were not in a situation to effectively respond.

“At this stage, the methodology adopted by the ministry to issue the consultation paper — firstly, only in English language; secondly, only in online mode; thirdly, without broadcasting widely in the press; and fourthly, without localised consultations with effected stakeholders — reveals a lack of inclination, let alone commitment, to any real consultative process. The initiation of such a consultative process in this manner is tantamount to non-consultation and is exclusionary of the vast majority of stakeholders,” the association said.