← All Authorities
United States Leading Case grounds illegalitypublic nuisance

National Audubon Society v Superior Court

33 Cal.3d 419 (1983)
JurisdictionUnited States
CourtCalifornia Supreme Court
Year1983
StatusBinding authority

Summary

The public trust doctrine imposes an affirmative duty on the state to protect navigable waters and their dependent resources for public use, even against prior water rights allocations.

Key Principle

Public trust doctrine; state has affirmative duty to protect navigable waters for public use; Mono Lake; environmental protection as public trust obligation

Area of Law

environmental

Related Cases

Sharma v Minister for the Environment [2022] FCAFC 35

Full Federal Court overturned trial judge and held no novel duty of care is owed by the Environment Minister to Australian children when approving fossil fuel projects under climate change concerns.

Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action Inc v Environment Protection Authority [2021] NSWLEC 92

NSW Land and Environment Court held the EPA had a statutory duty under the POEO Act to develop environmental protection policies addressing climate change, enforceable by judicial review.

Gloucester Resources Ltd v Minister for Planning (Rocky Hill Mine) [2019] NSWLEC 7

First Australian court decision refusing mine approval on climate change grounds, holding that a project's greenhouse gas contributions are a material consideration in planning decisions.

Ask CommonBench about this case

Get a detailed analysis of National Audubon Society v Superior Court and how it applies to your situation.

Explain National Audubon Society v Sup...