公共信托理论在南非环境权立法保障中的运用

Application of Public Trust Doctrine in the Legislative Protection of Environmental Rights in South Africa

作为发展中国家的南非在大力发展经济的同时却面临着环境受到严重污染的难题,如何平衡经济发展与环境保护从而确保公民享有良好的生活环境成为新南非政府的重要议题。为了从立法上保障公民的环境权,南非在其基本法《南非共和国宪法》的权利法案中规定了环境权。与权利法案中的其他权利不同,环境权的理论依据是公共信托理论。为使宪法中规定的环境权得到具体落实,南非一系列环境法律法规在相应的环境权条款中也将公共信托理论植入其中。

How to balance economic development and environmental protection to ensure that citizens enjoy a good living environment has become an important issue for the new South African government.To protect citizens’ environmental rights in legislation South Africa provides environmental rights in the bill of rights of its basic law,the constitution of the Republic of South Africa.Unlike other rights in the bill of rights the theory of environmental rights is based on public trust doctrine.To give practical effect to the constitutional right to the environment a series of South African environmental laws and regulations also incorporate public trust doctrine in the corresponding environmental rights provisions.