On Sunday, October 16, 2022, a special court case will take place in the Amstelpark. The trees of the Amstelpark argue for their own rights and will hold a number of regional polluters to account. Do you want to attend this event? Read more and sign up if you are interested. Please mind: the event will be held in Dutch.

Speculative lawsuit as part of Het Amstelpark – The trees tell their story

This year the Amstelpark celebrates its 50th anniversary. And the trees of the Amstelpark have been here for 50 years too. What do they have to say? What are their rights? How can we as guardians stand up for the interests of the trees? On October 16, the speculative lawsuit Rechtszaak in het park – de bomen vertellen hun verhaal, will take place amidst the art installation ‘Parliament van de Bomen’. The lawsuit is part of the project Het Amstelpark – The trees tell their story by artist Elmo Vermijs.

In the project Het Amstelpark – the trees tell their story, the trees of this city park in Amsterdam are central. The trees, which were planted in 1972 on the occasion of the Floriade, are silent witnesses of the global warming. The project consists of a LivingLab (by Dendrolab of WUR) and the Parliament of the Trees. The project ends with a speculative lawsuit. Artist Elmo Vermijs, in collaboration with environmental lawyers Jessica den Outer and Jan van de Venis, investigates how other-than-human entities, such as trees, can become legal entities and how this legal status can contribute to better protection of forests and city parks.

Unique lawsuit

This lawsuit is the first of its kind. New and innovative forms of evidence and representation are an important part of this trial and all in all make it a unique opportunity to be present. There is a maximum of 50 participants.

The following persons have confirmed:
President: Marianne Thieme
Messenger: Elmo Vermijs
Lawyers: Jan van de Venis & Jessica den Outer
Expert: Ute Sass-Klaassen
Representatives: Gershwin Bonevacia, Kenzo Kusuda, Thijs van Vuure & Apprentice Alasca
Witnesses: Bert Barten

Essay: Sanne Bloemink ( De Groene Amsterdammer)
Sound engineer: Andreas Tegnander

Do you want to attend?

Please send an email to rechtszaak@elmovermijs.com, preferably as soon as possible, stating: rechtszaak in het park – October 16. State in it: name, age, place of residence (and profession) and briefly why you would like to attend.

Also read the post on how you can use the space of the Parliament of the Trees in the Amstelpark between 12 September and 15 October.