PAUL POWLESLAND
Barrister - Rights of Nature Campaigner - Founder River Roding Trust & FoTT River Director
paul's story
Paul Powlesland is a barrister, environmental activist, and passionate advocate for the rights of rivers and the communities that depend on them. He brings deep legal expertise, frontline campaigning experience, and a powerful voice for nature to his role as a trustee of Friends of the Thames.
As a practicing barrister specialising in environmental, planning, and protest law, Paul has represented individuals and communities fighting to protect their local environments. He is a leading legal voice in the growing movement to recognise the rights of nature—arguing that rivers, forests, and ecosystems should be granted legal standing and protection from harm.
Paul is also the founder of Lawyers for Nature, a network of legal professionals working to align law with ecological sustainability and justice. Through this work, he has helped shape the legal conversation around water pollution, environmental degradation, and climate resilience.
In 2022, Paul gained national attention for his impassioned defence of the River Roding in East London, where he lives on a narrowboat. As part of the campaign to stop pollution and protect the Roding’s fragile ecosystem, he combined legal action with direct community engagement—demonstrating his belief that environmental change must be both grassroots and systemic.
Paul’s vision for the Thames is bold and clear: a living river with clean water, abundant biodiversity, and legal rights of its own. He brings tireless energy, legal insight, and unwavering commitment to Friends of the Thames, working to help transform the river from a polluted utility into a flourishing ecosystem held in public trust.