In a significant move to clarify legal boundaries for protesters, the Attorney General, Rt Hon Victoria Prentis KC MP, has sought guidance from the Court of Appeal regarding a specific defence used in cases of criminal damage. This request, announced today by the Attorney General’s Office, aims to provide clear legal standards for future cases involving environmental activists and other protesters.
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The issue at hand revolves around a defence commonly used by environmental campaigners, wherein they argue that their actions causing damage were justified as the organizations affected would have consented to the damage if they had been fully aware of the impact of climate change. This argument has led to several acquittals in criminal damage cases over the past year, sparking debates over the legal interpretation of such defences.
