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14 B. C. Int'l & Comp. L. Rev. 1 (1991)
The Precautionary Principle: A Fundamental Principle of Law and Policy for the Protection of the Global Environment

handle is hein.journals/bcic14 and id is 7 raw text is: The Precautionary Principle: A Fundamental Principle of Law and Policy for the Protection of the Global Environment James Cameron* Juli Abouchar** In the Bergen process, there has been an important debate on the principle of precaution. I will add my strong support to those who say that we cannot delay action until all scientific facts are on our tables. We already know enough to start to act--and to act more forcefully. We know the time it takes from decision through implementation to practical effects. We know that it costs more to repair environmental damage than to prevent it. If we err in our decisions affecting the future of our children and our planet, let us err on the side of caution. Gro Harlem Brundtland Leader of the Opposition, Norway' We have sufficient scientific evidence to state that action is required. And where uncertainty still exists we must give the environment the benefit of the doubt. Prime Minister Jan P. Syse Leader, Conservative Party, Norway2 Barrister of the Inner Temple; Director of the Centre for International Environ- mental Law, King's College, London (CIEL); Director of Studies in Law, Clare Hall, Cambridge University; Honorary Lecturer in Law, King's College, London. LL.B., Uni- versity College, University of London, 1985; LL.M., Queen's College, Cambridge Uni- versity, 1986. ** LL.B. and B.C.L. Candidate, McGill University; B.Sc. 1987 and B.A. 1988, Univer- sity of Waterloo. The authors are grateful to Dean Yves-Marie Morisette of the Faculty of Law, McGill University, whose generous financial assistance made possible Ms. Abou- char's internship at CIEL. The authors also wish to thank Jacob D. Werksman, Research Fellow at CIEL, for his assistance with the preparation of this Article. I Keynote Speech, Opening Session, Conference on Action for a Common Future, in Bergen, Norway (May 8, 1990). 2 Opening Address, Opening Session, Conference on Action for a Common Future, in Bergen, Norway (May 8, 1990).

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