January 28, 2022: Court Denies Young Alaskans Access to Justice

In a split 3-2 decision, following oral arguments over 2 years prior, the Alaska Supreme Court denied the 16 youth plaintiffs their right to bring their constitutional case challenging the state’s policy of promoting fossil fuels. The youth secured an important and powerful dissent from Justices Peter J. Maassen and Susan M. Carney, who wrote that the law “requires that we explicitly recognize a constitutional right to a livable climate — arguably the bare minimum when it comes to the inherent human rights to which the Alaska Constitution is dedicated.”