Eve Aycock has won this year’s Isle of Man Law Society essay prize with a detailed analysis of whether our legal system adequately protects the island’s natural environment.

Eve is a trainee advocate with M&P Legal and is due to complete her training in 2024.

In her essay she reviewed the island’s key environmental laws including the Climate Change Act 2021 to consider whether further protection is needed. She areas where protection and enforcement should be fortified. Her essay also won the George Johnson law prize for 2022.

This is a competition established in memory of George Sayle Johnson, a past President of the Isle of Man Law Society.

The object is to encourage the study of law.

The judging panel consists of the First and Second Deemsters, the Attorney General, the High Bailiff and the Vicar General.

Eve was awarded the prize by Deemster Corlett at a ceremony held at the courts with Law Society president Kathryn Clough attending.

Eve said: ‘I am very happy to win this prize but I hope that wider publicity for the subject matter of my essay will draw attention to the urgent need for our environment to be better protected.

‘The Isle of Man has special status as a UNESCO Biosphere which should act as a platform for vanguard environmental laws and enforcement.’

Eve wrote in her essay: ‘Small island states are amongst the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, despite contributing the least to global emissions...The Isle of Man (IoM) is in a privileged position to construct a strong legal framework protecting its natural environment.

‘Its small population and relatively accessible Government enables individuals and grassroots organisations to encourage political will and promulgate real change in the community.

‘The local beach cleaning charity Beach Buddies exemplifies this. It is a simple, cost-effective premise that has garnered island-wide support and caused a ripple effect across the globe.’

This is not, however, a reason for complacency as Eve’s essay argues that our natural environment is not adequately protected by our legal system and goes on to outline suggestions of how the Isle of Man may strengthen its legal system so as to ensure better protection of our natural environment.

These include the creation of a Manx Environment Act to mirror that of the UK and the subsequent establishment of a non-departmental environmental watchdog to hold the government to account.

In her conclusion Eve wrote: ‘Ultimately, the question of whether our legal system adequately protects our natural environment may be interpreted as somewhat of a red herring.

‘The reality is that it is unlikely that our legal system – or any for that matter – will ever be enough to ensure that our environment is sufficiently protected from harm.

‘The rate at which the environment is being degraded, the increasingly unstable climate and the soaring extinctions of fauna and flora worldwide are simply occurring too rapidly for the legislative framework to keep up. Tynwald has, unfortunately, proved itself to lag behind in establishing a framework for climate change.

The Isle of Man will have to bolster its legislation, enhance enforcement and increase engagement with other States and societal sectors to ensure that our island gem keeps its mountain air sweet.’