Browsing by Author "BYEGANJE CYNTHIA"

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    RIGHTS BASED CLIMATE LITIGATION IN UGANDA
    (UGANDA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY, 2025-05-29) BYEGANJE CYNTHIA
    Climate change is no longer a distant concern — it’s a pressing reality, affecting lives, livelihoods, and the very ecosystems we depend on. Uganda, while having solid laws like Article 39 of the 1995 Constitution and the National Environment Act, continues to struggle with deforestation, pollution, and extreme weather events that expose major governance gaps. This dissertation explores whether rights-based climate litigation can actually work as a legal tool to enforce environmental rights in Uganda. Using a qualitative approach, it examines court decisions, local legal frameworks, international human rights treaties, and scholarly commentary to understand how climate-related cases are handled — and where the challenges lie. The research digs into enforcement issues like judicial inconsistency, low public awareness, and costly legal processes. Notable Ugandan cases, like Greenwatch v. Golf Course Holdings Ltd, highlight the real-world barriers faced by litigants seeking justice. At the same time, global cases such as Urgenda Foundation v. Netherlands offer inspiration for what’s possible when courts actively protect environmental rights. Ultimately, the study finds that while Uganda’s laws recognize environmental rights, making them work in practice requires more than legal text — it demands reform, judicial will, better access to justice, and grassroots involvement. The study ends with practical suggestions for lawyers, policymakers, and activists who want to make rights-based climate litigation a real force for change in Uganda.