The first ever constitutional climate trial in the United States has opened in Montana, brought by young activists suing the north-central state for violating their right to a "clean and healthful environment. This case has come to be known as ‘Held Vs Montana’ due to the fact that the name of the lead petitioner is Riki Held. The case was filed in March 2020 and it involves 16 young residents who allege that state officials have violated their constitutional rights to a healthy environment. The two-week trial in Helena, Montana, is scheduled to run from 12 to 23 June. Last week, the state’s Supreme Court had rebuffed a last-ditch attempt by the State Attorney General to delay the trial, clearing the path for it to open on Monday as planned. Held v Montana follows the highly publicized 2015 Juliana v United States in which 21 young people had sued the US government for violating their constitutional rights to life, liberty and property by enacting pro-fossil fuel policies that drove climate change.

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