Brontie Ansell
Co-Founder and Director, Head of Research and Engagement
United Kingdom (UK), United Kingdom
Brontie is dedicated to research, education and legal advice in environmental justice. She manages the research and engagement team at Lawyers for Nature as well as providing pro bono legal assitance to community groups and individuals striving to protect the natural world and its non-human inhabitants. Brontie has a particular focus on providing legal advice on matters such as unlawful eviction of environmental camps, planning and judicial review, and use of the Localism Act to purchase community assets.
Lawyers for Nature gained notoriety with its landmark case against Sheffield City Council where 17,500 street trees were saved from being unnecessarily destroyed by a private contractor and protestors had their charges overturned and avoided prison. Brontie is currently advising ‘Save the Middlewick Ranges’ community group on how they might save a prime biodiversity plot of 100 acres near the University of Essex that Colchester Council wish to build 1000 homes on.
Brontie is currently conducting commercial research into rights of nature and the use of this theory in corporate law. In particular she is looking at board composition, voting powers and ‘nature directors’. Brontie is also currently writing and editing a book on teaching climate justice in university law clinics.