Acland Bryant

PhD Researcher

Background

Acland is a second year PhD student at the University of East Anglia (“UEA”) and a member of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research.

Acland is researching the effectiveness of climate change litigation in common law jurisdictions. This is an interdisciplinary PhD and Acland is supervised by Dr Avidan Kent from the School or Law and Dr Irene Lorenzoni from the School of Environmental Sciences.

Acland is a qualified barrister and practices in family law at St. Mary’s Chambers and, in environmental, climate change and associated areas of law as in in-house lawyer at Friends of the Earth.

As an in-house lawyer at Friends of the Earth, Acland has worked on several important and high-profile environmental and climate change cases, including:

  1. R (on the application of Finch on behalf of the Weald Action Group) (Appellant) v Surrey County Council and others (Respondents) UKSC 2022/0064
  2. Wolverhampton City Council and others (Respondents) v London Gypsies and Travellers and others (Appellants) UKSC 2022/0046
  3. R (on the application of Friends of the Earth Ltd) (Appellant) v Secretary of State for International Trade/UK Export Finance (UKEF) and another (Respondents) UKSC 2023/0026
  4. Friends of the Earth v. Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities; and South Lakeland Action on Climate Change v. SSLUHC (Whitehaven coalmine)
  5. Net Zero Strategy 2 Legal Challenge
  6. In the Matter of an Application by Derry City and Stabane District Council for Judicial Review (the Sperrins Mountains case)
  7. In the Matter of an Application by No Gas Caverns Limited and Friends of the Earth Limited for Judicial Review [2023] NIKB 41

Acland has broad interests, including but not limited to:

  1. Environmental Law
  2. Climate Change Law
  3. Planning Law
  4. Animal Rights and Animal Welfare
  5. Social and Environmental Justice

Before studying law, Acland used to be a member of the Great Britain Fencing Team and World Class Performance Program funded by UK Sport. He has competed at World Cups, Commonwealth Games, European Championships and other international competitions.

Education

PhD Researcher at the University of East Anglia (UEA), 2022 – Present

LLM in Environmental Law and Policy at University College London (UCL), 2020 – 2022

BPTC at City Law School, 2018 – 2019

LLB Hons Law at the University of Surrey, 2015 – 2018

Scholarships and Studentships

PhD Studentship (University of East Anglia) 2022- 2025

Jerry Parthab Singh Scholarship (The Honourable Society of The Middle Temple) 2018/2019

High Performance Athlete Recognition Scheme (University of Surrey) 2015- 2017

Pro Bono Work

Standon & Puckeridge Parish Council, 29/05/20 – 31/03/2023

National Centre for Domestic Violence (NCDV), 13/10/18 – 28/01/2021

Streetlaw, 10/02/18 – 01/10/18

Surrey Law Centre, 21/02/17 – 01/10/18