Call for applications: Funding of legal costs to be incurred in environmental public interest litigation in South African courts
29 March 2011
Closing date for applications: 19 April 2011
Download the full call for applications here, and the application form here. If you have any trouble accessing these documents, please email edf@cer.org.za.
The Environmental Defence Fund is a non-profit organisation established to advance environmental rights in South Africa and is associated with the Centre for Environmental Rights (www.cer.org.za). The Fund accepts and manages donations for the purpose of funding the work of the Centre for Environmental Rights and other public benefit organisations with similar or related objectives to that of the Centre.
On behalf of a public benefit trust dedicated to promoting environmental protection, the Environmental Defence Fund hereby calls for applications for funding of legal costs to be incurred in environmental public interest litigation in South African courts.
The narrative of the application should be no longer than 4 pages, but you are encouraged to attach photographs and media coverage that will assist us in understanding the issue and its public interest.
Under the terms of this grant:
- No funding will be awarded retrospectively, in other words for legal costs already incurred.
- No funding will be awarded to cases not yet ripe for legal proceedings, for example where you seek funding for a review application, but an internal appeal decision is still pending.
- “Legal costs” are defined to include attorneys’ fees and advocates’ fees. Certain essential disbursements may be considered.
- Generally speaking, no single grant will exceed R250 000. This amount may increase to R500 000 in extraordinary cases.
- Applicants who are awarded a grant, are successful in their legal proceedings and are the beneficiaries of costs orders, will be required to repay the amount of the grant to the public benefit trust (or the total amount of the costs order, whichever is the lesser). This allows the trust to continue funding other environmental public interest cases.
- Recipients of grants are expected to keep the Environmental Defence Fund fully informed of key developments in the legal proceedings.
- The attached application form has 15 sections. Failure to complete any section of this form satisfactorily and to provide the specified attachments will disqualify applicants from consideration for this grant.
Applications must be submitted to edf@cer.org.za. Please use the following format for the subject heading of the email: EDF Call March 2011: NAME OF YOUR CASE.
Before submitting, please check that you have attached the following to your application form:
- A 1-page curriculum vitae of the project manager
- A national and provincial map showing the location of the area affected
- A maximum of 5 photographs of what you are trying to protect
- A maximum of 5 photographs or images of the threat, if available (e.g. drawings of the proposed development)
Representatives of the Environmental Defence Fund may visit you and the affected area prior to any decision is made on this grant. When necessary, shortlisted applicants (and their attorneys) may also be invited to give a presentation to a selection committee in Cape Town at their own expense.
Closing date for applications for this call: 19 April 2011. No late applications will be considered.