Last year, a number of climate change protesters facing criminal damages trials argued that property owners would have agreed to the activists’ actions if they had known more about the climate emergency. I have made a defense of “I agree.”
On Monday, the Court of Appeals ruled in a case brought by Attorney General Victoria Prentice that such defenses cannot be used in future cases.
Sue Kerr, Chief Justice of England and Wales, told the court that motives, beliefs, political or philosophical views were “too remote from harm”.
Sandra LavilleThe Guardian’s environment correspondent says: michael safi Why the Court of Appeal’s ruling will make it more difficult for climate protesters to explain their actions in court and how this government intervention is the latest in a number of attempts to crack down on direct action Explain why.
Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
