美国环境公民诉讼判例法的新近发展及对中国环境公益诉讼立法的启示

Recent development of American case law on environmental citizen suits and its revelation to Chinese legislation on environmental public suits

美国是世界上首创环境公民诉讼制度的国家，其对各国环境公益诉讼的立法产生了广泛的影响。美国是成文法和判例法相结合的国家，判例对立法的创新和发展一直起着非常重要的推动作用，因此，研究其环境公民诉讼制度的发展不可能离开立足于实践的判例法。通过联合国环境与发展会议以来的典型案例分析发现．美国环境公民诉讼判例法在诉讼目的的实现途径、原告的范围、起诉权的要件、法院的受案范围、诉讼的请求、律师参与诉讼的支持机制等技术层面具有一定的发展和变化。相比之下，中国的立法在环境损害的界定、起诉权的支持、司法审查的范围扩展等方面很不发达，对于全面保护公民的环境权益是很不利的。中国正在研究发展环境公益诉讼立法，可以借鉴和参考美国环境公民诉讼判例法的经验。发展中国的环境公益诉讼立法，应当在法律体系的完善和具体规定的设计两个方面开展工作。在法律体系方面，不仅应修订《宪法》、《环境保护法》、《民事诉讼法》和《刑事诉讼法》，还应当修订单行环境立法。在具体规定方面，要明确规定环境公民诉讼的受案范围、主体要件、前提条件、程序规则、诉讼请求、举证方式和条件，不仅应承认公民的环境权，扩展环境损害的范围，扩大社会团体以及非直接利害关系人行使起诉权的案件范围，还要建立介入诉讼、环境公诉制度及有利于律师参与和代理诉讼的收费标准。

America is the first country that established environmental institution of citizen suits. This institution affects other country＇s legislation on environmental public suits widely. America is a nation that combines statute law and case law. Case law always acts a very important role in promoting innovation and development of legislation. So, we can＇t research development of environmental citizen suits without case law based on practice. After analyzing the typical cases occurred since United Nations Conference on Environment and Development 1992, we can find that many technical aspects of environmental citizen suits case law, such as realization approach of suits＇ aim, scope of plaintiff, necessary condition of right to sue, scope of case that can be accepted and heard by the courts, petition of suits and supporting mechanism of attorneys＇ participation, have changed or developed more or less. Comparing with those of America, Chinese legislations on definition of environmental harm, support of right to sue, expanse of scope of judicial review are not developed yet. It is disadvantageous to protect citizens＇ environmental rights and interests roundly. Now China is researching how to develop its legislation on environmental public suits, we can study American case law experience on environmental citizen suits as a reference. When developing Chinese environmental public suits, we should carry out the following measures： From the aspect of perfecting legislative system, we should amend Constitution, Act on Environmental Protection, Act on Civil Litigation, Act on Administrative Litigation and environment special acts. From the aspect of detailed regulations, we should provide scope of case that can be accepted and heard by the courts, necessary condition of parties, premise condition of suits, procedure rules of hearing, petitions of plaintiff, modes and condition of showing evidence. These provisions not only should admit citizens＇ environmental right, expand scope of environmental harm, extend the scope of right to sue for social organizations and other people that have indirect interest relationship with the case, but also should establish intervene suits, environmental public suits and charging standard for promoting attorneys participate and act as an agent.