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Greenpeace India Society v Union of India

Country/Territory
India
Type of court
National - higher court
Date
Jan 20, 2015
Source
UNEP, InforMEA
Court name
High Court of Delhi
Seat of court
New Delhi
Judge
J. Rajiv Shakdher
Reference number
WP(C) 5749/2014
Language
English
Subject
Environment gen.
Keyword
Human rights Access-to-information Access-to-justice
Abstract

In this case, the plaintiff was an environmental NGO which seek to quash the order blocking their financial assets which had been frozen by an order of the Ministry of Home Affairs following a bank transfer from another NGO located in Netherlands.

The plaintiffs pointed out that there was no objective reason for the Ministry to block its bank account and that the decision was arbitrary. The Ministry defended its decision by saying that the decision was motivated by the fact that the provider of the bank transfer was on the watch list of the Ministry of Home Affairs and some of the some of the activities of the environmental NGO were detrimental to the national interest.

The judge of the High Court held that the arguments used by the Ministry were not enough to freeze the financial assets of the environmental NGO and ordered that the bank allows the NGO to have access to its accounts.

Full text
Greenpeace India Society v Union of India.pdf