Victory for the rule of law in San Diego Superior Court

Justice Scalia once quipped that the rule of law is a law of rules.

One rule, codified in the California Endangered Species Act, requires the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to conduct status reviews for species listed as threatened or endangered. The Department has failed to conduct such reviews for over two hundred species.

After PLF sued to enforce the Act, the Department doubled down on its refusal to perform these reviews. The Department even contends that doing so would “severely disrupt” its ability to function. PLF debunked this bold assertion, and the San Diego Superior Court issued a favorable ruling. The Department must now answer for its failure to follow the law in the next nine days.