Social context of the law Series:
Environmental law: regulation and the right to protest
Related Reading
LEGISLATION
Climate Change Act 2008 <https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2008/27/contents>UNECE Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention) <https://unece.org/DAM/env/pp/documents/cep43e.pdf>Criminal Damage Act 1971 <https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1971/48/contents>Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 <https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1994/33/contents>European Convention on Human Rights <https://www.echr.coe.int/european-convention-on-human-rights>Highways Act 1980 <https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1980/66>Human Rights Act 1998 <https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/42/contents>International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights <https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/international-covenant-civil-and-political-rights>Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 <https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2011/13/contents>Public Order Act 1986 <https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1986/64>Public Order Act 2023 <https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/15>The Public Order Act 1986 (Serious Disruption to the Life of the Community) Regulations 2023 <https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2023/655/contents/made>Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 <https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2022/32/part/3/enacted>Regulation (EU) 2021/1119 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 June 2021 establishing the framework for achieving climate neutrality and amending Regulations (EC) No 401/2009 and (EU) 2018/1999 (‘European Climate Law’) <http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/1119/oj>
Case law
Attorney General’s Reference on a Point of Law No. 1 of 2022 (Questions of Law Arising from Prosecution in Crown Court for Allegations of Criminal Damage to a Statue) [2022] EWCA Crim 1259 (28 September 2022) <https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Crim/2022/1259.html>Attorney General’s Reference On A Point of Law No. 1 of 2023 [2024] EWCA Crim 243 (18 March 2024) <https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Crim/2024/243.html>Bushell’s Case (1670) 124 E.R. 1006 <http://www.commonlii.org/uk/cases/EngR/1823/38.pdf>Davidson & Ors -v- R, Crown Court at St Albans (4 May 2022) <https://www.judiciary.uk/judgments/davidson-ors-v-r/>Director of Public Prosecutions v Ziegler & Ors (Rev1) [2021] UKSC 23 (25 June 2021) <https://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKSC/2021/23.html>The 'Enrica Lexie' Incident (Italy v. India) <https://pca-cpa.org/en/cases/117/>HM Solicitor General v Warner [2024] EWHC 918 (KB) (22 April 2024) <https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/KB/2024/918.html>Jones & Ors v The Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis [2019] EWHC 2957 (Admin) (6 November 2019) <https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Admin/2019/2957.html>National Council for Civil Liberties, R (On the Application Of) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2024] EWHC 1181 (Admin) (21 May 2024) <https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Admin/2024/1181.html>National Highways Ltd v Springorum & Ors [2022] EWHC 205 (QB) (2 February 2022) <https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/QB/2022/205.html>North Warwickshire Borough Council v Baldwin & Ors [2023] EWHC 1719 (KB) (14 July 2023) <https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/KB/2023/1719.html>R v Brown [2022] EWCA Crim 6 (14 January 2022) <https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Crim/2022/6.html>R v Jones [2006] UKHL 16 (29 March 2006) <https://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKHL/2006/16.html>R v Hallam & Ors - sentencing remarks (18 July 2024) <https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/R-v-Hallam-and-others.pdf#page=1.00>R v Thacker & Ors [2021] EWCA Crim 97 (29 January 2021) <http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Crim/2021/97.html>Roberts & Ors v R. [2018] EWCA Crim 2739 (6 December 2018) <https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Crim/2018/2739.html>Shell UK Ltd v Persons Unknown (Rev5) [2023] EWHC 1229 (KB) (23 May 2023) <https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/KB/2023/1229.html>Torres Strait Islanders v Australia 2019 <https://climatecasechart.com/non-us-case/petition-of-torres-strait-islanders-to-the-united-nations-human-rights-committee-alleging-violations-stemming-from-australias-inaction-on-climate-change/>Trowland & Anor, R. v [2023] EWCA Crim 919 (31 July 2023) <https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Crim/2023/919.html>UK Oil & Gas Plc (Previously Known As UK Oil & Gas Investments Plc) & Ors v Persons Unknown & Ors [2021] EWHC 599 (Ch) (9 February 2021) <https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Ch/2021/599.html>Valero Energy Ltd & Ors v Persons Unknown & Ors [2024] EWHC 134 (KB) (26 January 2024) <https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/KB/2024/134.html>Wang Yam, R (on the Application of) v Central Criminal Court & Anor [2015] UKSC 76 (16 December 2015) <https://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKSC/2015/76.html>
BOOKS
Berglund, O. & Schmidt, D. Extinction Rebellion and Climate Change Activism: Breaking the Law to Change the World (Springer, 2020)Wainwright, T. The Protest Handbook, 2nd ed. (Bloomsbury, 2020)
[Held at the Inner Temple Library]Thornton, P. The Law of Public Order and Protest (OUP, 2010)
[Held at the Inner Temple Library]Mead, D. The New Law of Peaceful Protest: Rights and Regulations in the Human Rights Act Era (Hart, 2010)Weaver, C. Your Right to Protest (Profile, 2024)Devlin, P. Trial by Jury (Stevens, 1956)
[Held at the Inner Temple Library]Milligan, T. Civil Disobedience Protest, Justification and the Law (Bloomsbury, 2013)Head, M. Democracy Protest and the Law (Taylor & Francis, 2024)
ARTICLES & REPORTS
Brenan, T. ‘The Worrying Trend of Restricting Protest Rights’. (Legal Action, July/August 2024) <https://www.lag.org.uk/article/215615/the-worrying-trend-of-restricting-protest-rights> [accessed 14 October 2024]Cammiss, S., Hayes, G. & Doherty, B. ‘Necessity, Non-Violent Direct Activism, and the Stansted 15: Reasserting “Hoffmann's Bargain”'. (Modern Law Review, Vol. 85, No. 6)
[Held at the Inner Temple Library]Chada, Raj. ‘“Proclaiming the Cab Rank Rule as the Pillar Upholding Access To Justice is a Reflection of the Highest Order”’. (Legal Action, November 2023) <https://www.lag.org.uk/article/214690/-proclaiming-the-cab-rank-rule-as-the-pillar-upholding-access-to-justice-is-a-deflection-of-the-highest-order-> [accessed 14 October 2024]‘Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’. (IPCC, 2023) <https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/syr/downloads/report/IPCCAR6SYR_LongerReport.pdf> [accessed 15 October 2024]‘Court and Prison Stories’. (Just Stop Oil, [n.d.]) <https://juststopoil.org/court-prison/> [accessed 15 October 2024]Cutcher, N. ‘Are Protest Injunctions out of Order?’ (Prospect, August/September 2024) <https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/world/environment-news/climate/67179/out-of-order-protest-injunctions> [accessed 14 October 2024]‘Defenders of our planet: resilience in the face of restrictions’. (Civicus, November 2021) <https://civicus.contentfiles.net/media/assets/file/DefendersOfOurPlanet.pdf> [accessed 15 October 2024]‘Demonstrating Respect for Rights? A Human Rights Approach to Policing Protest’. (Joint Committee on Human Rights, March 2009) <https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/jt200809/jtselect/jtrights/47/47i.pdf> [accessed 15 October 2024]‘Europe: Under Protected and Over Restricted: The State of the Right to Protest in 21 European Countries EUR 01/8199/2024’. (Amnesty International, 2024) <https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/eur01/8199/2024/en/> [accessed 15 October 2024]‘Explainer: Serious Disruption Prevention Orders’ (NetPol, 14 March 2023) <https://netpol.org/2024/03/14/serious-disruption-prevent-orders/#:~:text=Serious%20Disruption%20Prevention%20Orders%20> [accessed 15 October 2024]‘Facts About the Climate Emergency’ (UN Environment Programme, [n.d]) <https://www.unep.org/facts-about-climate-emergency> [accessed 15 October 2024]Feldman, D. ‘The Growing Complexity of a Human Right to Assemble and Protest Peacefully in the United Kingdom’. (Victoria University of Wellington Law Review, Vol. 54)
[via HeinOnline]FitzGibbon, F. ‘Jurors’ Consciences’ (Trinity Chambers, 1 Feburary 2024) <https://www.trinitychambers.co.uk/news-insights/jurors-consciences-francis-fitzgibbon-k-c> [accessed 14 October 2024]Forst, M. ‘State Repression of Environmental Protest and Civil Disobedience: A Major Threat to Human Rights and Democracy’. (UN Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders
under the Aarhus Convention, February 2024) <https://unece.org/sites/default/files/2024-02/UNSREnvDefendersAarhusPositionPaperCivilDisobedience_EN.pdf> [accessed 15 October 2024]Forst, M. ‘Visit to London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 10-12 January 2024 End of mission statement’. (UN Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders under the Aarhus Convention, 23 January 2024) <https://unece.org/sites/default/files/2024-01/AarhusSREnvDefendersstatementfollowingvisittoUK10-12Jan_2024.pdf> [accessed 15 October 2024]Gearty, C. ‘The Future of Protest is in Danger’ (LSE Blog, 26 April 2024) <https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/the-future-of-protest-is-in-danger/> [accessed 15 October 2024]‘General Briefing: Why We Need a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty’ (Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, May 2023) <https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5dd3cc5b7fd99372fbb04561/t/648c33e9e872940647bbc116/1686909931092/GENERAL+BRIEFING+-+ENG+%23FossilFuelTreaty.pdf> [accessed 15 October 2024]Goldsmith, J. ‘Peaceful Climate Protest: A Headache for Labour’ (Law Society’s Gazette, 29 July 2024) <https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/commentary-and-opinion/peaceful-climate-protest-a-headache-for-labour/5120492.article [accessed 14 October 2024]Gudde, P. et al. ‘The Role of UK Local Government in Delivering on Net Zero Carbon Commitments: You've Declared a Climate Emergency, So What's the Plan?’ (Energy Policy, Vol. 154) <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421521001142> [accessed 15 October 2024]Hayes, G., Cammiss, S. & Doherty, B. ‘Disciplinary Power and Impression Management in the Trials of the Stansted 15’. (Sociology, Vol. 55, No. 3) <https://doi.org/10.1177/0038038520954318> [accessed 15 October 2024]Hayes, G. & Cammiss, S. ‘Just Stop Oil’s Harsh Sentences Are the Logical Outcome of Britain’s Authoritarian Turn against Protest’. (The Conversation, 19 July 2024) <http://theconversation.com/just-stop-oils-harsh-sentences-are-the-logical-outcome-of-britains-authoritarian-turn-against-protest-235148> [accessed 15 October 2024]Hefti, A. ‘What’s Next in Climate Litigation Before the European Court of Human Rights? Duarte Agostinho and Others v Portugal and 32 Other States’ (Oxford Human Rights Hub, 2 May 2023) <https://ohrh.law.ox.ac.uk/whats-next-in-climate-litigation-before-the-european-court-of-human-rights-duarte-agostinho-and-others-v-portugal-and-32-other-states/ [accessed 15 October 2024]Heri, C. ‘On the Duarte Agostinho Decision’. (VerfBlog, 25 April 2024) <https://verfassungsblog.de/on-the-duarte-agostinho-decision/> [accessed 15 October 2024]Horne, A. ‘Why Climate Protestors Lost the Right to Cause Criminal Damage’. (The Spectator, 19 March 2024) <https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/why-climate-protestors-lost-the-right-to-cause-criminal-damage/> [accessed 15 October 2024]‘House of Commons Research Briefing. Police Powers: Protests’ (House of Commons, 10 September 2024) <https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn05013/> [accessed 15 October 2024]‘The Human Rights Act & the Right to Protest’. (The British Institute of Human Rights, [n.d.])
<https://www.bihr.org.uk/news-blogs/blog/the-human-rights-act-the-right-to-protest> [accessed 15 October 2024]Hungerford-Welch, P. ‘Contempt of Court: “Solicitor General v Warner”’. (Criminal Law Review, No. 10, 2024)
[Held at the Inner Temple Library]Jury Acquits Extinction Rebellion Protesters Despite ‘No Defence in Law’ (The Guardian, 23 April 2021) <https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/apr/23/jury-acquits-extinction-rebellion-protesters-despite-no-defence-in-law > [accessed 15 October 2024]Lakhdhir, L. ‘Britain Now Stifles Peaceful Dissent like a Repressive Regime. It’s Time to Roll Back our Anti Protest Laws’. (The Guardian, 10 September 2024) <https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/sep/10/britain-protest-laws-tories-climate-labour> [accessed 15 October 2024]Laville, Sandra. ‘Five Examples of the UK’s Crackdown on Climate Protesters’. (The Guardian, 23 January 2024) <https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/jan/23/five-examples-of-the-uks-crackdown-on-climate-protesters> [accessed 15 October 2024]Loveland, I. ‘A Rollercoaster Ride? Article 10 and 11 “Defences” in Aggravated Trespass, Public Nuisance and Contempt Prosecutions’. (The Conveyancer and Property Lawyer, Vol. 2024, No. 3)
[Held at the Inner Temple Library]McKenzie, Jessica. ‘In the UK, a Dangerous Escalation in the Criminalization of Climate Protests’. (Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 23 July 2024) <https://thebulletin.org/2024/07/in-the-uk-a-dangerous-escalation-in-the-criminalization-of-climate-protests/> [accessed 15 October 2024]Martin, R. ‘Convicting Peaceful Protesters: Proportionality’s Proper Place at Criminal Trial’. (Oxford Journal of Legal Studies, Vol. 44, Issue 2) <https://academic.oup.com/ojls/article/44/2/342/7639848> [accessed 15 October 2024]Matthews, A. ‘Protest and Proportionality: Where Next?’ (Archbold Review, 2023 Issue 1)
[Held at the Inner Temple Library]Mathiesen, K. ‘The Climate Protesters Who Threw Soup at a Van Gogh Painting. (And Why They Won’t Stop)’. (Politico, 2 October 2024) <https://www.politico.eu/article/van-gogh-soup-anna-holland-phoebe-plummer-just-stop-oil-sunflowers-painting-protest-jail-sentence/> [accessed 15 October 2024]Mead, D. ‘Britain’s Protest Laws are Tighter Than Ever - and Labour May Well Keep Them’. (Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, 7 June 2024) <https://eu.boell.org/en/2024/06/07/britains-protest-laws-are-tighter-ever-and-labour-may-well-keep-them> [accessed 15 October 2024]Padmore, S. & Waring, R. ‘Where we are with Climate Litigation: a 2024 Snapshot’. (Burges Salmon, 5 June 2024) <https://www.burges-salmon.com/news-and-insight/legal-updates/esg/where-we-are-with-climate-litigation-a-2024-snapshot> [accessed 15 October 2024]‘Protecting our Democracy from Coercion By Lord Walney The UK Government’s Independent Adviser on Political Violence and Disruption’ (House of Commons, May 2024)
<https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66473eddf34f9b5a56adc9e3/E03131940HC775LordWalneyReviewAccessible.pdf> [accessed 15 October 2024]‘Rebels in Prison’. (Rebels in Prison Support, [n.d.]) <https://rebelsinprison.uk/rebels/all/> [accessed 15 October 2024]Rozenberg, J. ‘Causes and Effect – Can Juries Spurn the Law?’. (Law Society’s Gazette, 1 December 2023) <https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/commentary-and-opinion/causes-and-effect-can-juries-spurn-the-law/5118092.article> [accessed 15 October 2024]Spencer, Prof. J. R. ‘Jury Equity - a Changing Climate?’ (Archbold Review, No. 9, November 2023)
[Held at the Inner Temple Library]‘Statutory Guidance: Serious Disruption Prevention Orders’. (Home Office, April 2024) <https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/serious-disruption-prevention-orders> [accessed 15 October 2024]Wagner, Adam. ‘(In)Tolerance to Civil Disobedience in the UK’. (Verfassungsblog, August 2023) <https://doi.org/10.17176/20230808-224225-0> [accessed 15 October 2024]
PODCASTS
‘Can Climate Protests Make a Difference?’ (The Climate Question, 10 October 2024) <https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct3kjk> [accessed 15 October 2024]'How UK Courts Became the New Climate Protest Battleground'. (Drilled, 16 January 2024) <https://drilled.media/podcasts/drilled/10/drilleds10-ep15> [accessed 15 October 2024]‘Is Climate Rebellion the Future?’ (Al Jazeera, 25 July 2023) <https://www.aljazeera.com/podcasts/2023/7/25/is-climate-rebellion-the-future-2> [accessed 15 October 2024]'Jessica Simor KC: Judicial Activism in the Age of Global Warming'. (Double Jeopary Podcast, 14 May 2024) <https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/jessica-simor-kc-judicial-activism-in-the-age-of/id1633485236?i=1000655533309> [accessed 15 October 2024]'The Morality of Climate Activism'. (Moral Maze, 19 July 2023) <https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001nvyy> [accessed 11 October 2024]'Protest'. (Cross Examination, 10 June 2024) <https://open.spotify.com/episode/3O3EnBfUShZ8oAMaIh9HqD> [accessed 15 October 2024]
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