Six climate activists jailed for their roles in demonstrations, including co-founder of Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion Roger Hallam, have had their sentences reduced at the Court of Appeal.
The six were part of a group of 16 activists who challenged their sentences for their roles in four demonstrations held by Just Stop Oil (JSO) between August and November 2022, including climbing on gantries over the M25 and throwing soup over Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers.
Their lawyers claimed all 16 sentences “manifestly excessive”, at a hearing in January, with the Crown Prosecution Service opposing the appeals.
In a judgment on Friday, the Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr, Mr Justice Lavender and Mr Justice Griffiths ruled that six of the 16 should have their sentences reduced, while dismissing the other appeals.
Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick condemned the decision, saying it “undermines deterrence and risks sending a dangerous message”.
“It is disappointing that these radical disruptors have had their sentences reduced,” he said.
Mr Jenrick added: “When in government, the Conservatives took tough action to ensure that professional agitators, like Just Stop Oil, faced the full force of the law for their actions and answered for the damage they did to our country. We will always stand on the side of hard working people over eco-zealots.”
Sir Keir Starmer’s official spokesman said the decision is “for the judge”, declining to comment on the judgment.
As Baroness Carr read out a summary of the Court of Appeal’s ruling, several campaigners in court stood and turned their backs, wearing T-shirts that read “Corruption in Court”.
Hallam, who was originally jailed for five years for agreeing to disrupt traffic by having protesters climb onto gantries over the M25 for four successive days, had his sentence reduced to four years.
Daniel Shaw, Louise Lancaster, Lucia Whittaker De Abreu, and Cressida Gethin originally received four-year jail terms for their involvement in the same protest.
Shaw and Lancaster’s sentences were reduced to three years, while Whittaker De Abreu and Gethin’s sentences were reduced to 30 months.
Gaie Delap, who was previously jailed for 20 months for her role in protests on the M25 during which they climbed onto gantries over the motorway, had her sentence reduced to one of 18 months.
Ten others had their appeals dismissed, including George Simonson, Theresa Higginson, Paul Bell and Paul Sousek, who were imprisoned for between two years and 20 months for their involvement in protests on the M25, during which they climbed onto gantries over the motorway.
Larch Maxey, Chris Bennett, Samuel Johnson and Joe Howlett were jailed for between three years and 15 months after occupying tunnels dug under the road leading to the Navigator Oil Terminal in Thurrock, Essex, and also had their appeals dismissed.
The Court of Appeal also threw out the challenges of Phoebe Plummer and Anna Holland, who were sentenced to two years and 20 months respectively after almost “destroying” Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers by throwing soup on its protective glass at London’s National Gallery.
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