Challenges and Effects of Recognizing Legal Personality for the Environment

Document Type : Scientific Research

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law and Political Science, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Ph.D. Student in Private Law, Faculty of Law and Political Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

States have adopted various approaches to protect the environment. One of the most novel methods used in recent years by some countries is granting legal personality to certain components of the environment. This approach has not yet been widely accepted in major legal systems, but it can serve as an effective means for achieving governmental conservation objectives. The present study seeks, on the one hand, to examine the challenges facing this initiative, and on the other hand, to evaluate the effects of recognizing legal personality, in order to address the important question of whether granting legal personality to the environment benefits society, and specifically the environment itself. The major challenges in granting legal personality to environmental components include the absence of a reliable legal basis for granting legal personality, conflicts with state sovereignty, and the possibility of employing easier alternatives, such as using NGOs or appointing governmental representatives and trustees for environmental supervision and protection. Conversely, the effects of recognizing such legal personality can be assessed as granting the right to claim legal remedies based on personal rights, having representatives to exercise these rights, generating direct income for the environment, and compelling the government to move toward a green state while respecting the rights of the environment as a legal entity.

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Main Subjects

References

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Civil Law Knowledge
Volume 15, Issue 29 - Serial Number 29
September 2026
Pages 31-42

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