District Court of Central Jakarta, Decision No. 820/Pdt./G/1988/PN, PT Inti Indorayon Utama (PT IIU), 1988 (Indonesia)

This is a case against PT Inti Indorayon Utama, a paper milling company in Sumatra, which paved the way for standing in environmental cases in Indonesia. The company caused significant environmental damage to the surrounding countryside. Damage peaked when the company’s artificial lagoon burst, releasing about 400,000 cubic meters of toxic waste into the Asahan River. Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia (WALHI), a national environmental non-governmental organization, sued the company and five government agencies before the Central Jakarta district court, arguing that it should be allowed to represent the public “environmental interest.” The court recognized WALHI’s standing to file the case based on two grounds. First, the court regarded the environment as “common property,” stressing that there is a public interest in environmental preservation. Second, the environment itself is a legal subject with an intrinsic right to be sustained. WALHI could legitimately represent that environmental interest. Further, the court held that every person had the right and obligation to take part in environmental management.