Synopsis:

‘Can a planet have legal rights? Could it be defended in a court of law?’

 A revolution is taking place. Around the world, ordinary people are turning to courts seeking justice for environmental damage. At the forefront of this movement, pioneering barrister Monica Feria-Tinta advocates not only for the people fighting for their homes and livelihoods, but also for those who have no voice: for rivers, forests and endangered species.

 In A Barrister for the Earth, Monica takes us behind the scenes of ten real cases – as she argues against the destruction of cloud forests in the world’s first Rights of Nature case, to holding Sovereign states to account for inaction in addressing climate change in a landmark win for the Torres Straight Islanders.

 Each of these hopeful stories are landmarks signalling that we are at an important juncture, in which the law can be a powerful tool for the lasting change that we need.

Genre: Climate Activism NonFiction
Publisher: Faber Books
Pub Date: 24 April 2025

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Review:

I have been eager to read this book since I first heard about it, so a huge thank you to @faberbooks for sending me a copy! As someone interested in climate justice, I already knew of Monica and some of the amazing work she has done, but I am willing to bet most won’t know her name. I honestly think it’s a huge injustice that stories of legal cases like these don’t make general news because we need hope for our planet more than ever.

In the book, we investigate cases involving mining, oil spills, human displacement, and more. Feria-Tinta takes us through 10 such cases, showing us how she was able to combine her legal knowledge with the lives and cultures of affected communities to stand against corporate and governmental giants.

Reading about the incredible destruction of the environment and the harm done to everything that calls these affected places home made me feel queasy and furious, but as we progress further into the cases, feelings of hope start to replace that. The knowledge that we have people like Monica who tirelessly fight for the planet and do it so well is exhilarating.
This book shows us that the law can be changed, that there are governments who make the right choices, and that nature does in fact, have rights.

Alongside the technical legal aspects of the book, we are also invited on a more personal journey with the author. Feria-Tinta recalls memories of her childhood in Lima, and through meeting Indigenous populations and visiting the places she is defending, we see her connect with her heritage and feel her passion for this amazing planet.

I challenge you to read this and not feel outraged for the communities that are suffering, to not feel protective over a cloud forest in Ecuador, but I also challenge you not to feel hopeful that we can do better. These kinds of books are so important because they tell us that positive change can happen.
I highly recommend A Barrister for the Earth to anyone who is interested in climate activism, regardless of whether you are already knowledgeable or just starting to try and understand the scope of the issues.