Environmental Rights And Access To Justice: Comparing Citizen-Led Environmental Litigation In Indonesia And Timor-Leste
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63208/21015-427Keywords:
Citizen Lawsuit, Environmental Litigation, , Environmental Rights, Judicial Access, Indonesia Timor-LesteAbstract
This study examines the comparative legal capacity and judicial access for citizen-led environmental litigation in Indonesia and Timor-Leste. Using a normative juridical method with comparative, statutory, conceptual, and case approaches, the study analyzes environmental rights, citizen standing, procedural access, judicial reasoning, state accountability, and remedies. The findings demonstrate that both countries possess normative foundations for environmental protection, but their capacity to transform environmental rights into accessible judicial claims differs. Indonesia has a more developed litigation framework through constitutional recognition of the right to a good and healthy environment, statutory environmental protection, the citizen lawsuit mechanism, and emerging judicial practices concerning environmental and climate justice. Nevertheless, procedural uncertainty, inconsistent climate-related judicial reasoning, limited scientific evidence, and weak administrative compliance with court decisions remain challenges. Timor-Leste has constitutional and institutional foundations for environmental protection, but limited evidence of established citizen-led environmental litigation. Environmental protection is more frequently addressed through regulatory governance, institutional mechanisms, community participation, and international environmental commitments. The study identifies a litigation capacity gap between the two countries. Indonesia has moved further toward judicializing environmental accountability, while Timor-Leste requires stronger mechanisms connecting constitutional rights, citizen standing, judicial access, and effective remedies.
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