The University of Pretoria's Faculty of Law was well-represented at the recent Student and Annual Conferences of the Environmental Law Association (ELA) on "25 Years of Environmental Law under a New Constitution" from 26 to 28 September 2019.  Numerous students, academics and practitioners in the field of Environmental law gathered to participate and or attend the events.

Mr Tokyo Ndlela, a candidate on the LLM programme in Environmental Law at the University of Pretoria, presented his mini-dissertation's findings at the Student Conference. His presentation titled “The Constitution’s Response to Climate Change: The Threat of Meat Consumption” examined the extent to which the meat production industry contributes to climate change and, moreover, proposed the novel idea of the implementation of a meat tax. Ndlela plans to publish his LLM research, and received constructive feedback from leading academics and practitioners who attended the conference.  Ndlela confirmed that his attendance at the ELA events was an incredible opportunity to learn and network with leading scholars and practitioners in the important field of Environmental law, and that he was very grateful for the experience and encourages others to capatilise on future opportunties.

Ndlela says that “[T]his was a great learning opportunity, as I gained insight into different perspectives and arguments, which I could incorporate into my journal article”. He was sponsored by his supervisor, and programme co-ordinator of the LLM programme in Environmental Law, Ms Melanie Murcott, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Public Law at the University of Pretoria.

Murcott’s presentation at the ELA Annual Conference was titled “Trends in the Adjudication of Environmental Law Disputes”. Murcott captivated attendees with her crisp, social justice-oriented analysis of recent case law concerning issues about the environment.  

Murcott not only sponsored Ndlela’s attendance at the ELA Student and Annual Conference, but also encouraged all of her students to participate and attend these events. Mr Vaughn Rajah, a student in Murcott’s final year LLB elective on Environmental Law, took up the invitation and presented a thought-provoking paper at the ELA Student Conference titled “Developing a Rights-based Climate Jurisprudence: The South African example”. Rajah confirmed that he has 'thoroughly enjoyed the experience and learned a great deal."

The event was hosted by the University of KwaZulu-Natal.