Silent Victims in Environmental Crimes: Nature as a Damaged Legal Entity Within the Framework of Victimology
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This study takes into consideration the silent victims of environmental crime in that nature is a legal, not passive victim, of suffering and can seek redress through the law. It is a comparative analysis of government rights through the lens of national law — New Zealand, India and various states across the United States — that have incorporated the rights of nature. The legal frameworks and practices in these jurisdictions represent pioneer cases of how such a legal framework can convey the intrinsic value of nature and allow legal proceedings and restorative measures for damages to the environment. Based on a review of relevant key legal principles, key cases and legislative features, this analysis demonstrates that as far as nature is a victim, the more society can strive for environmental justice here and now. Finally, this study invites an ideal development in victimology that integrates environmental questions and sustainable legal practice for more effective environmental trauma repair.
Source: Research
Author: Dalia Kadry Ahmed Abdelaziz
Institution: Prince Sultan University
Language: English
Topic: Environmental law and policy
Subfield: Law
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7139074557