Maryland Attorney General Joins Coalition Opposing Removal of Climate Science Chapter from Judicial Manual

Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown has joined 22 other attorneys general in formally opposing the Federal Judicial Center’s (FJC) decision to remove a chapter on climate science from its forthcoming Scientific Evidence manual. The chapter, titled “Reference Guide on Climate Science,” was a peer-reviewed primer intended to assist judges in understanding scientific evidence. Its removal has been attributed to what the coalition describes as unfounded partisan pressure.

The Federal Judicial Center has published its Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence since 1994, serving as a crucial resource for judges in federal and state courts. The manual has been referenced by the U.S. Supreme Court and thousands of other judges over its three-decade history. The chapter in question underwent the same rigorous, multi-month peer-review process by both scientific experts and members of the judiciary as all other sections of the manual. The FJC’s decision to eliminate this chapter, reportedly without explanation or public input, disregarded this established review process.

The coalition asserts that a guide on climate science is increasingly necessary due to the growing volume and urgency of litigation involving climate-related evidence in the courts. The attorneys general emphasize that removing the chapter does not alter the scientific reality of climate change. They reference a Supreme Court acknowledgment from nearly twenty years ago, which recognized the documented rise in global temperatures coinciding with increased atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations. This ruling affirmed a causal link between human-generated greenhouse gases and global warming, as well as the significant and recognized harms associated with climate change. The participating attorneys general are urging the FJC to reinstate the “Reference Guide on Climate Science” chapter into the manual.

Attorney General Brown’s participation in this letter signifies Maryland’s stance alongside the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. Additionally, the Corporation Counsel for the City of New York, the City of Chicago, and Harris County, Texas, are part of this coalition. The decision to remove the climate science chapter from the manual, which has historically been a nonpartisan and scientifically grounded resource, is a significant development for legal professionals and the judiciary.

Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from the Maryland Attorney General’s Office.

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