Critically assess the effectiveness of the criminal law as a means of protecting the environment from pollution.

The main function of the criminal law, as a means of protecting the environment, is to reach impartial decisions based on the merits of each case. Environmental law is primarily concerned with human activity and the principal method which is used to regulate these activities is the Command and Control regulatory regime. In addition, each regulatory regime is supported, to a great extent, by criminal law offences. These offences are mainly summary, indictable and "both …

…MORTON, S, 4TH EDITION, BLACKSTONE PRESS. (2002) ENVIRONMENTAL LAW, 5TH EDITION, S. BELL AND D. McGILLIVRAY, BLACKSTONE PRESS, (2001) ENVIRONMENTAL LAW AND REGULATION, McELDOWNEY, J.F. & McELDOWNEY, S, Blackstone Press. (2001) REPORTS/JOURNALS ENVIRONMENTAL LAW REVIEW ECOLOGY LAW QUARTERLY ENVIRONMENTAL LAW JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL LAW OGUS & ABBOT (2002) 14 (3) JEL 283 ENDS REPORT WEBSITES WWW.WESTLAW.CO.UK WWW.BUTTERWORTHS.CO.UK WWW.ENDS.CO.UK WWW.LEGISLATION.HMSO.GOV.UK WWW.RCEP.ORG.UK WWW.ENVIRONMENT-AGENCY.GOV.UK