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Ben Pontin

Professor Ben Pontin

Professor in Law and Head of Law

School of Law and Politics

Email
PontinB@cardiff.ac.uk
Telephone
+44 29208 76718
Campuses
Law Building, Room 2.46, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX
Users
Available for postgraduate supervision

Overview

Ben's specialism is environmental law, with supporting interests in constitutional law and tort. His approach to both research and teaching in these fields mixes  'doctrinal' and 'socio-legal' perspectives, with a particular emphasis on the historical context of current developments.

Ben is director of the student-led pro bono clinic called the Environmental Law Foundation Cardiff Clinic, and co-director of the Centre for Environmental Justice. He is reviews editor of the Journal of Environmental Law (Oxford University Press) and managing editor of Environmental Law and Management (Lawtext Publishing). He invites research degree supervision in any area of environmental law.

Publication

2022

2019

2018

2017

2015

2014

Articles

Book sections

Books

Monographs

Research

PUBLICATIONS

Books

The Environmental Case for Brexit (Hart Publishing 2019)

Environmental Injustice in Occupied Palestinian Territory (Al Haq and Heinrich Boll Foundation, Ramallah Palestine (Al Haq 2015) [with de Lucia, V. and Gameros, J]

Articles

'The Constitutive Tension between Public Health and Environmental Protection - An Historical Perspective' (2020) 32 Journal of Environmental Law 345.

'Legal and Political Conceptions of Governance within the Environment Bill Controversies' (2019) 31 ELM 85

'The Role of Previous Generations in the Just Savings Principle' 24 Kantian Review 555

‘A Room with a View in English Nuisance Law: Exploring Modernisation Hidden within the “Textbook Tradition”’ (2018) 38 Legal Studies 627

‘Litigating Extraterritorial Nuisances under English Common Law and Statute’ (2017) 6 Transnational Environmental Law 285-308  [with E Blanco]

‘Economy, Society and Earth in Polanyian and Wild Law Perspectives on Environmental Regulation: To Perform a Double or Triple Movement?’ (2016) 28 Journal of Environmental Law 183-190

‘Private Nuisance Law in the Balance’ (2015) 27 Journal of Environmental Law 117-139.

‘Environmental Law Making Public Opinion in Victorian Britain: The Cross-Currents of Bentham's and Coleridge's Ideas’ (2014) 34 Oxford Journal of Legal Studies 759-790.

‘Nuisance injunctions after Coventry v Lawrence: revisiting the question of “prevention” or “payment”’ (2013) 25 ELM 206-215

‘The Common Law Clean up of the First Industrial Revolution: More Realism about Nuisance Law’s Historic Environmental Achievements’ (2013) 40 Journal of Law and Society 173-198

‘Air as a Common Good’ (2013) 33 Environmental Science and Policy 354-368 [with Everard M].

‘Nuisance Law and the Industrial Revolution: A Reinterpretation of Doctrine and Institutional Competence’ (2012) 74 Modern Law Review 1010-36

‘Secret Achievements of Nineteenth Century Nuisance Law’ (2007) 19 ELM 271.

‘Integrated Pollution Control in Victorian Britain: Rethinking Progress within the History of Environmental Law’ (2007) 19 Journal of Environmental Law 173-199

‘Tipping v St Helen’s Smelting: Anti Development or Sustainable Development?’ (2007)19 ELM 7-18.

‘Defending “Fundamental” Riparian Rights’ (2006) 17 Water Law 3-13.

‘Influence recente du doit de l’environnement du Royaume-Uni sur les principes juridiques du development durable’ [2006] Revue European de Droit de l’Environnement, 57-70 [With Elen Stokes].

‘Local Authority Enforcement of Part IIA Environmental Protection Act 1990: The Challenges of a Public Law Approach’ (2005) 17 ELM 176-186.

‘The Environmental Dimension to Company Law Modernisation’ (2003) 15 ELM 354-366 [with Howell C]

‘Environmental Rights under Britain’s “Intermediate Constitution”’ (2002) 17 Natural Resources and Environment 36-45.

‘Environmental Rights, Statutory Authorisation and the Human Rights Act: Is Clarity Possible?’ (2002) 14 ELM 350-360.

‘Human Rights Act and Prerogative Powers: Elevating the status of orders in council’ [2001] Public Law 21-27 [with Billings P].

‘Beyond Nuisance: Enforcing the Right to a Healthy Environment within the Framework of the Human Rights Act 1998’ (2001) 13 ELM 305-316

‘Tort Interacting with Regulatory Law’ (2000) 51 Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly 597-618.

‘‘Pollution Injustice’ – A Regulatory Law Perspective’ (2000) 12 ELM 197-207.

‘Development du Droit Royaume-Uni’ [1999] Revue European de Droit de l’Environnement 39-52.

‘Tort Law and Victorian Government Growth’ (1998) 18 Oxford Journal of Legal Studies 661-680.

Book Chapters

‘Nuisance Law, Regulation and the Invention of Prototypical Clean Technology: Voluntarism in Common Law and Regulation’, in Brownsword, R. Yeung K and Scotford E, (eds) Oxford Handbook on Law, Regulation and Technology (Oxford University Press 2017)

‘The Science of Climate Change: A Legal Perspective on the IPCC’, in Farber, D. and Peeters, M., (eds), Climate Change Law (Edward Elgar 2016) [with French D]

‘Displacing Remedies from Environmental to Planning Law: The Enforcement of the Contaminated Land Regime for England and Wales’ (2006) Oxford Yearbook of European Environmental Law 97-118 [with Willmore C].

‘UK Developments’ (2005) 4 Oxford Yearbook of European Environmental Law 725-741.

‘UK Developments’ (2004) 3 Oxford Yearbook of European Environmental Law 647-656.

‘Access to Justice in Environmental Matters in the UK’, in Ebesson J (ed), Access to Justice in Environmental Matters in the EU (Kluwer 2002) 471-494 [with Jewell T].

Short Articles, Reviews, Editorial Articles

'Who Owns England and Why Does it Matter for Biodiversity (and Land Justice)' (2020) 32 ELM 3-6

'The Law and Ethics of Living with Coronavirus from an Earth Jurisprudence Perspective' (2019) 31 ELM

'Heathrow Airport expansion after the Plan B Earth and Friends of the Earth Litigation' (2019) 31 ELM 39-41

‘Recent Environmental Liability Directive Litigation in Context’ (2015) 27 ELM 265-267

Paris Agreement 2015: Critical Reflections on Global Average Temperature Control’ (2015) 27 ELM 183-184

‘Book Review: Research Handbook on Human Rights and the Environment’ (2015) 27 Journal of Environmental Law.

‘Environmental Audit committee inquiry into the National Health Service (NHS) (2014) 26 ELM 6 203-205.

‘Book review: The River Pollution Dilemma in Victorian Britain’ (2014) 35 Journal of Legal History 321-325.

‘The IPCC Fifth Assessment Report - review and comment’ (2013) 25 ELM 115-120

‘The Planning Court - a new Court relevant to the environment’ (2013) 25 ELM 6 207-208.

‘Town Mouse and Country Mouse: A Fable for the Twenty-First Century’ (2012) 24 ELM 223-237

‘US Supreme Court hands down judgment in climate change litigation’ (2011) 23 ELM 111-112

‘American Nuisance Law and Greenhouse Gases’ (2011) 23 ELM 55-56

‘Cancun and the new voluntarism in international climate change law and policy’ (2010) 22 ELM 6 279-280

‘The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution’ (1970-2010) (2010) 22 ELM 103-105.

‘Text and Commentary on EU Council Policy towards Copenhagen Climate Negotiations’ (2009) 21 ELM

‘Earth Service v Ecosystem Management’ (2009) 21 ELM 239-240

‘Climate Change Agnosticism – what does it mean for environmental law? (2009) 21 ELM 55-57

‘Climate Change Act 2008’ (2008) 20 ELM 203-205

‘Streamlined’ siting of nuclear power stations: the implications of participation law? (2008) 20 ELM 3 115-117

‘Wild Law: Sustainable Development and Beyond’ (2007) 19 ELM 59-63.

‘Silent Spring in Britain Today’ (2006) 18 ELM 100-102.

‘Fourth Assessment Report of the IPCC: Key Developments in the Science of Global Warming’ (2006) 18 ELM 267-268.

‘Book Review: Philosophical Foundations of Environmental Law’ (2005) 17 Journal of Environmental Law 461-463.

‘Russian Ratification of the Kyoto Protocol’ (2004) ELM 150-153.

‘UK Developments in GM Crop Decision Making’ (2003) 15 ELM 283-284

‘Our Energy Future: towards a low carbon economy?’ (2003) 15 ELM 1-3

‘Deliberating on the GMO controversy’ (2002) 14 ELM 131-133.

‘Third Party Planning Appeals: A Principled Defence of the Status Quo?’ (2002) 14 ELM 75-76.

‘Proposals for EC Environmental Liability’ (2002) 14 ELM 3-4

‘The Regulation of Genetic Modification: Too Much Too Soon or Too Little Too Late?’ (2001) 13 ELM 263-264

‘Human Rights and Judicial Review’ (2001) 13 ELM 195-197.

‘Nuisance and Human Rights: The HRA Begins Delivering on its Promises’ (2001) 13 ELM 155-57.

‘Environmental Leadership? Reflections post-Gothenburg’ (2001) 13 ELM 95-96

‘Environmental Watchdogs’ (2001) 13 ELM 3-4

Teaching

Environmental Law and Justice (LLB option)

Public Law (Year 1 LLB)

Tort (Year 1 LLB)

Biography

HIGHER EDUCATION

BA(Hons) Philosophy and Politics, Warwick University 1988

MA Continental Philosophy, Warwick University 1989

Dip Law, University City,  1990

Bar Finals, Inns of Court School of Law 1991

LLM, University College London 1992

PhD Southampton University 1997