Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, whose nine-year-old daughter, Ella, became the first person in the UK to have air pollution officially listed as a factor in her death, has settled a legal claim against the UK government. Ella, who lived close to London’s South Circular Road in Lewisham, tragically passed away in 2013 after a severe asthma attack, which a coroner attributed to high levels of nitrogen dioxide near her home.
The settlement, which includes an undisclosed compensation amount, comes after years of campaigning by Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, who filed the suit through Ella’s estate against the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), the Department for Transport, and the Department for Health and Social Care. While the legal action does not set a court precedent, it highlights the government’s accountability in managing air quality and its impact on public health.
Adoo-Kissi-Debrah expressed a bittersweet satisfaction with the outcome, acknowledging that while the settlement and government apology offer a form of justice, they can never bring her daughter back. She has continuously pushed for “Ella’s Law” to establish the right to clean air as a fundamental right for all citizens, emphasizing that the risk remains for other children.
In a joint statement, government departments expressed their condolences and acknowledged Ella’s suffering due to air pollution. They reaffirmed their commitment to a robust Clean Air Strategy aimed at reducing emissions and improving public health through better air quality information.
Ruth Waters-Falk, a solicitor with Hodge Jones & Allen who represented Ella’s estate, noted that the settlement underlines the need for the government to prioritize air quality to protect public health.