By Siena McIlwraith-Fraticelli (She/Her)
Date: July 23rd, 2024
Word Count: 749
Since the Rights Clinic’s launch in 2022 at the U of M Faculty of Law, Rights Clinic students have been engaged in a variety of important projects to protect and advance human rights through education and awareness raising initiatives. This includes projects focused on a range of human rights issues impacting environmental, Charter, Indigenous, disability, and privacy rights.
One such notable project was the recent work that Rights Clinic students Anna Evans-Boudreau(3L), Stansilava Agurova (3L), and Kassi Delorey (3L) did with the Manitoba Eco-Network (MbEN) in 2023-2024 focused on the recognition of environmental human rights in Manitoba. The students supported Heather Fast [B.A./2010; J.D./2013; LL.M./2018], the Policy Advocacy Director at MbEN, in her efforts to advocate at the national level for the recognition of the right to a healthy environment under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA), and for the adoption of an Environmental Bill of Rights at the provincial level.
Students from the Rights Clinic and the Environmental Law Group have collaborated over the past few years with MbEN on the crucial work that the organization does to promote positive environmental action and advocate for environmental justice. In the past, UM Rights Clinic students and Environmental Law Group students have supported MbEN’s environmental justice work in the areas of toxic substances, impact assessment, and recognition of environmental human rights and rights for nature.
During their most recent project with MbEN, the Rights Clinic students built on previous work done by Rights Clinic and Environmental Law Group students and conducted comparative research and gathered information on approaches used in other jurisdiction to legally recognize environmental human rights. They identified best legal practices and helpful legislative language that could be adopted for use in Manitoba. The students also created a draft environmental bill of rights in language accessible for the general public that could be potentially introduced in the Manitoba Legislative Assembly. This work was helpful to Fast and her team, providing valuable insights that helped to inform her work at both the national and provincial levels.
Right to a Healthy Planet Webinar Event
UM law students Evans-Boudreau, Agurova, and Delorey, along with Environmental Justice student Keza Owitonze (3L) were also invited to share the insights they gained from their research about environmental rights in Canada at MbEN’s regional consultation event on March 27th, 2024. The students joined various presenters from the community and representatives from Health Canada and Environment Canada to discuss the development of a framework for the newly recognized right to a healthy environment under CEPA.
“The federal implementation team was particularly interested in the feedback of youth, so the participation of the clinic students in the webinar was extremely helpful and ensured more youth voices were heard in this process. Consultations about policy and legal issues always benefit from the participation of law students who continue to impress me with their creativity and real concern for access to justice issues. This consultation event was no exception, and the contribution of the rights students helped emphasize the needs of youth, and Manitobans in general, when it comes to the legal recognition of environmental rights in Canada” said Fast.
Kassi Delorey, who has since graduated from the University of Manitoba Faculty of Law, shares her experience working on this project with the MbEN during her time at the Clinic.
“As a mother, it was important for me to do work that supports a healthy and safe planet for future generations.”
Delorey also commented on her and her peers’ very real concerns about access to justice issues.
“We initially found the work intimidating, but we realized it was the topic itself that was daunting, even for those more experienced than us. This heightened our awareness of the barriers people without legal training face when advocating for their rights. We came to understand that our ability to translate complex legal concepts into plain, accessible language is our strength and a crucial way to combat the various barriers to accessing justice.”
The collaborative efforts of Rights Clinic students at the University of Manitoba demonstrate the remarkable opportunities for law students to broaden their horizons, refine their skills, and make meaningful contributions to advancing pressing human rights issues.
More information about the Rights Clinic can be found at:
More information about Manitoba Eco-Network can be found at: