The precautionary principle is used to protect people and the environment from uncertain risks of serious and irreversible damage posed by human activity before it occurs. The principle enables a rapid response to a hazard, especially when scientific data are incomplete and do not provide a proper risk assessment.
The following thesis provides an analysis of the existence of the precautionary principle, as a general principle of international law and as a part of customary international law. This is one of the current issues in the field of environmental protection, together with the acceptance of the human right to a healthy living environment at the international level. The term principle, approach, measure or only descriptive content is used for the precautionary concept. Interestingly, there is no universally accepted definition, although the principle appears in different legal orders in similar situations. The work will present the development of the precautionary principle over time, its normative regulation and the judicial practice of various courts.
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