本文的主要目的在指出,台灣環境運動有從街頭走向法院的趨勢,但想要透過司法訴訟來促使社會變遷,則存在著侷限性。在社會運動制度化下,因環境評估的正當性危機、社會運動動員能力弱化,與確立司法獨立之下,環境運動的戰線從決戰環評拉長到決戰法院。欲以司法訴訟作為有效的社會改革途徑,除了支援體系的存在、法律動員,與司法的支持外,亦須考量立法權與行政權等政治力。在台灣,因為法院是被動角色與缺乏司法可問責性的情況下,政治力的干擾使司法更難發揮社會改革動力的作用。縱使法院判決有意促進社會變遷,關鍵卻取決於後續行政權的執行與否。倘若行政權不予支持,或消極不履行判決的話,司法作為一種改革變遷的動力,將受到相當限縮。
There is a new trend in the Taiwanese environmental movements: using litigation to achieve their goals. There are several factors which have facilitated the new trend. They include the crisis of the legality of an Environmental Impact Assessment, the decline in the mobilization of social movements, judicial independence, and the appearance of environmental lawyers. Although environmental lawyers and social movement organizations have won several lawsuits, the impacts of victories in courts are limited. The major obstacle faced by the judiciary as a dynamic of social reform is the resistance from the executive.