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Court Decisions and Air Pollution: Evidence from Ten Million Penal Cases in India

Author

Listed:
  • Luis Sarmiento

    (Centro Euro-Mediterraneo Sui Cambiamenti Climatici (CMCC))

  • Adam Nowakowski

    (Bocconi University)

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between air pollution and judicial rulings. Although environmental factors should not affect judicial decisions, realists contend that there is substantial room for external factors to transpire into sentencing and sway human reasoning. We hypothesize that air pollution is one of these factors. Using Poisson panel models and instrumental variable techniques, we show that exposure leads to more convictions. We posit that this effect occurs because the impact of exposure on the central nervous system changes the cognitive performance and empathy of judges. Back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest that decreasing average air pollution in India by one standard deviation would lead to up to 145,000 fewer convictions regarding currently active cases.

Suggested Citation

  • Luis Sarmiento & Adam Nowakowski, 2023. "Court Decisions and Air Pollution: Evidence from Ten Million Penal Cases in India," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 86(3), pages 605-644, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:enreec:v:86:y:2023:i:3:d:10.1007_s10640-023-00805-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s10640-023-00805-2
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Judicial hearings; Air pollution; Fine particulate matter; Convictions; India; Remote sensing;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • R40 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - General
    • H42 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Publicly Provided Private Goods
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling

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