Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah judiciary has reaffirmed its commitment to environmental and climate justice through the 5th Borneo Colloquium on Environmental Justice, which marked the 10th anniversary of the Kota Kinabalu Court Working Group on Environment, recently.
The two-day event brought together more than 100 participants including judges, enforcement officers, legal practitioners, government officials, academics and representatives from civil society organisations to discuss a decade of environmental advocacy and the growing need for climate justice frameworks.
Organised jointly by the State Court of Sabah, the State Attorney-General’s Chambers and WWF-Malaysia, the colloquium highlighted the achievements of the Kota Kinabalu Court Working Group on Environment (KKCWGE) since its formation in 2015.
Sabah and Sarawak Chief Judge Datuk Azizah Nawawi said the judiciary had shown that environmental justice could be achieved through collaboration and commitment.
“As we move forward, defining climate justice within our legal system is essential to uphold the rule of law and protect the rights of present and future generations,” she said.
The working group has pioneered judicial-enforcement collaboration in Malaysia over the past decade, improving how environmental cases are handled and strengthening prosecution of environmental offences.
Sabah and Sarawak High Court Judge Dean Wayne Daly said the working group began by bringing government agencies and non-governmental organisations together to discuss environmental protection.
“The working group’s agenda is simple. It saw the need to strengthen environmental justice by building bridges between the courts, enforcement agencies, government institutions, local communities and civil society,” he said in his keynote address.
The colloquium marked the launch of the KKCWGE Report: 10-Year Impact Review, which documents achievements including the development of Sentencing Guidelines for Wildlife and Forest Crimes, capacity-building programmes for enforcement officers, and initiatives such as mock trials and the “1 Hour for Nature” programme.
The working group has received support from agencies including the Sabah Forestry Department, Environment Protection Department Sabah, Sabah Wildlife Department, Sabah Parks and WWF-Malaysia.
The colloquium’s second day focused on climate justice, aligning with regional efforts under the Council of Asean Chief Justices following the Cebu Declaration and the establishment of the Working Group on Climate Justice.
Participants discussed how to define climate justice within Malaysia’s legal framework and implement strategies to ensure fair responses to climate change.
WWF-Malaysia Conservation Director Dr Henry Chan said climate change now intersected with governance, social equity and human rights.
“Climate justice means ensuring that no community is disproportionately affected and that solutions are inclusive, equitable and resilient. Nature-based solutions such as forest restoration can help mitigate impacts while supporting livelihoods,” he said.
He said indigenous and local communities’ traditional knowledge and stewardship were valuable in shaping fair solutions, and protecting their rights was central to achieving climate justice.
The colloquium ended with calls for continued collaboration among the judiciary, enforcement agencies and civil society to strengthen environmental governance and climate resilience in Sabah and Borneo.
