layla h. v. commonwealth of virginia
The parties appeared in court for oral argument in Richmond, Virginia on March 12, 2024 and now await a decision from the Virginia Court of Appeals that could put their case back on the path to trial.
Current Status
On February 9, 2022, 12 youth from across Virginia filed their constitutional climate lawsuit against the Commonwealth of Virginia, Layla H. v. Commonwealth of Virginia. The case argues that the Commonwealth’s historic and ongoing permitting of fossil fuels is causing and contributing to the climate crisis, and violating the plaintiffs’ constitutional rights. The youth plaintiffs assert that Virginia has violated its public trust duty to protect elements of the public domain, including atmosphere, required to preserve constitutional rights. They also assert that the Commonwealth of Virginia continues to rely primarily on fossil fuels as its main energy source and is thereby exacerbating climate change by polluting the atmosphere with excessive greenhouse gas emissions.
The youth plaintiffs are represented by Nate Bellinger, Andrew Welle, and Joanna Zeigler with Our Children’s Trust and Isak Howell, Attorney at Law.
major moments timeline
The following is a timeline of major moments, filings, and rulings in Layla H. v. Commonwealth of Virginia from February 2022 to today: