Activist Roger Hallam, a founding member of Just Stop Oil, receives a reduced sentence as the appeals of 10 fellow activists fail
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Just Stop Oil co-founder Roger Hallam's prison sentence has been nicked by a year, following a High Court appeal. This comes after a group of 16 protesters challenged their jail terms, ranging from 15 months to five years, for participating in various protests from August to November 2022.
Ten of the activists saw their appeals shot down. However, Hallam's original five-year sentence for inciting disruption on the M25 was reduced to four years on appeal.
Four other individuals — Daniel Shaw, Louise Lancaster, Lucia Whittaker De Abreu, and Cressida Gethin — each received four-year jail terms for their roles in the same protest that disrupted traffic for four days. Shaw and Lancaster's sentences were slashed to three years, while Whittaker De Abreu and Gethin's sentences were cut to 30 months.
Gaie Delap, previously jailed for 20 months for her participation in an M25 protest, experienced a decline in her sentence to 18 months. Delap's former co-defendants George Simonson, Theresa Higginson, Paul Bell, and Paul Sousek — sentenced to terms ranging from two years to 20 months — had their appeals rejected, as did several others involved in different protests.
Among these were Dr Larch Maxey, Chris Bennett, Samuel Johnson, and Joe Howlett, who received sentences between three years and 15 months for occupying tunnels beneath the road leading to the Navigator Oil Terminal in Thurrock, Essex.
The Court of Appeal discarded appeals from Phoebe Plummer and Anna Holland, who were handed a two-year and 20-month sentence, respectively, for almost "ruining" Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers by splashing soup on its protective glass at London's National Gallery.
Lawyers for the activists argued that the sentences were excessive, unjustly infringed upon their human rights, and failed to account for their conscientious motivation. The Crown Prosecution Service stood firm against the appeal, stating that "deterrence is required to protect the public."
As the Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr read out the Court of Appeal's verdict, several campaigners in court stood up, bearing T-shirts reading "Corruption in Court." The sentences handed to Hallam and his four co-defendants were considered the longest ever related to peaceful protest.
Raj Chada, head of criminal defense at law firm Hodge Jones & Allen, which represents several other protesters, expressed his dissatisfaction with the reduction of only a few sentences. He emphasized that "England's excessive sentencing for peaceful protests does not align with the rest of the civilized world" and expressed the possibility of yet another appeal.
Further Insights
- Just Stop Oil: This direct action group, brought into the spotlight for their dramatic protests about the climate crisis, has gone through numerous legal challenges, as seen in this and other cases. Insights into the group's overall background, objectives, and organizational structure can provide a more comprehensive understanding of their actions and the perceived impact they seek to create.
- Legal Landscape: The legal landscape surrounding environmental protests and civil disobedience in the United Kingdom has become increasingly controversial. Analyzing the judicial decisions regarding JSO and other similar protests, as well as the public reaction, reveals insights into societal attitudes towards direct action and the government's response to it. This knowledge can help predict potential changes in the legal framework or broader societal reactions to future protests.
- Public Perception: Public opinion towards civil disobedience and environmental protests is a crucial factor in understanding the responses to JSO's actions. Conducting surveys or analyzing online discussions around these protests allows us to discern shifting attitudes and the societal impact that protests like JSO's have, both positive and negative.
- Roger Hallam, co-founder of Just Stop Oil, had his prison sentence reduced from five years to four years, following a High Court appeal, despite ten other activists having their appeals denied.
- The sentences imposed on Just Stop Oil protesters, including four individuals who each received four-year jail terms for their roles in traffic disruptions, were later reduced to three years, 30 months, 18 months, and 20 months, respectively.
- Gaie Delap, jailed for 20 months for her participation in an M25 protest, saw her sentence reduced to 18 months, while Phoebe Plummer and Anna Holland, who vandalized Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers, had their two-year and 20-month sentences upheld by the Court of Appeal.
- Lawyers for the Just Stop Oil activists argued that the sentences were excessive, unjustly infringed upon their human rights, and failed to account for their conscientious motivation, similar to those involved in the environmental-science and general-news discussions about the climate crisis.
- The legal landscape surrounding environmental protests and civil disobedience in the United Kingdom has become increasingly controversial, with public perception playing a crucial role in shaping the government's response and potential changes in the legal framework for crime-and-justice cases involving protests like those of Just Stop Oil.
