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Hearings over historic air pollution lawsuit continues after failed mediation
The Central Jakarta District Court held a hearing over a historic civil lawsuit on air pollution, filed by civilians grouped under the Jakarta Advocacy Movement Team to fight for better air quality in the capital.
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Jakarta residents grouped under the Jakarta Advocacy Movement Team lock arms at the Central Jakarta District Court on Aug. 1, demanding that the government do something about the city's severe air pollution. (JP/Seto Wadhana)
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he Central Jakarta District Court held on Thursday another hearing over a historic civil lawsuit on air pollution, filed by civilians grouped under Tim Advokasi Gerakan Ibukota (Jakarta Advocacy Movement Team) to fight for better air quality in the capital.
The hearing took place after five failed mediation sessions in October and November.
“We are ready to continue the fight,” a public lawyer from the Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH Jakarta), Nelson Nikodemus, said in a statement.
He explained how seven defendants had been responding to the legal proceedings differently.
The lawsuit was addressed to seven parties, namely the President, the Environment and Forestry Ministry, the Health Ministry, the Home Ministry and the governors of Jakarta, Banten and West Java.
According to Nelson, only one defendant – the Jakarta administration – had the initiative to hold its own mediation outside the court. The plaintiffs sat together to discuss what the city could do to alleviate the severe air pollution in the capital.
“Based on our meetings [outside the court], it was concluded that we will oversee the city’s process of deliberating and issuing policies in regard to the air pollution problem in 2020, including making a road map and strategic plans for air pollution control,” he explained.
