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Sanga v Teika [2012] SBHC 105; HCSI-CC 263 of 2010 [logging activities and Forest ressources]

Country/Territory
Solomon Islands
Type of court
National - higher court
Date
Sep 12, 2012
Source
UNEP, InforMEA
Court name
High Court
Judge
Mwanesalua
Reference number
HCSI-CC Civil Claim No. 263 of 2010
Language
English
Subject
Forestry
Abstract

This case concerns timber rights and the request by plaintiffs to the court to issue and Interim Order to restrain the defendants from engaging in logging activities, constructing roads or carrying out any activities in Tehakamagoku Land. The court found that under the  Forest Resources and Timber Utilisation Act, the balance of convenience  must be applied to determine if logging actions could be halted. The court

found that “ to allow logging to continue would be more harmful to the applicant's interest, with contemplated severe damage to the natural forest, landscape and streams which are natural habitat for animals and birds. Furthermore, once the natural forest is damaged will be irreparable, and of course will take generations for it to be replenished.” The court also determined the value of environmental damages in this case as “substantial, and irreparable” and the environment is likely to take generations to naturally replenish. The court granted the interim orders which prevented the defendants from engaging in felling trees, constructing roads, removing or hauling already felled logs, restrained proceeds from logs already removed and sold to be paid into a joint trust, and required the defendants to catalog species, volume, and value of all felled logs from the Tehakamagoku Land.

(Source: http://www.worldlii.org/, last accessed 13/07/2018)

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