Laura Burgers

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Portrait Laura Burgers -

Laura Burgers studied law and French in Amsterdam, Paris and New York. In 2016, she started her PhD research at the University of Amsterdam's Faculty of Law on the democratic legitimacy of judicial lawmaking in climate justice cases. Themes within this research are (European) private law, environmental ethics and legal philosophy on democracy and the rule of law. The working title is Justice, the People's Power and Mother Earth. Burgers is one of the national experts within the UN program Harmony with Nature

In her research Justitia, the People's Power and Mother Earth, Burgers examines the tension between environmental interests and democracy that judges in climate cases may face: on the one hand, there is international consensus on the need to take measures to combat climate change, but at the same time such measures appear unpopular and therefore difficult to achieve through democratic means. The question arises as to what extent the courts should intervene and stand up for the interests of animals, natural areas and future generations. Using political theory on deliberative democracy and on environmental ethics, Burgers attempts to develop guidelines for judges operating within the frameworks of European private law.

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  • Laura Burgers