Jury sides with environment
This jury verdict will certainly have an impact in Britain, but also could have a psychological impact worldwide.The Independent/UK reported Sept. 11, 2008 that:
The threat of global warming is so great that campaigners were justified in causing more than £35,000 worth of damage to a coal-fired power station, a jury decided yesterday. In a verdict that will have shocked ministers and energy companies the jury at Maidstone Crown Court cleared six Greenpeace activists of criminal damage.
Jurors accepted defence arguments that the six had a "lawful excuse" to damage property at Kingsnorth power station in Kent to prevent even greater damage caused by climate change. The defence of "lawful excuse" under the Criminal Damage Act 1971 allows damage to be caused to property to prevent even greater damage – such as breaking down the door of a burning house to tackle a fire.
The not-guilty verdict, delivered after two days and greeted with cheers in the courtroom, raises the stakes for the most pressing issue on Britain's green agenda and could encourage further direct action.
The trial before a jury of nine-women and three men lasted eight days.
The acquittal was the second time in a decade that the "lawful excuse" defence has been successfully used by Greenpeace activists. In 1999, 28 Greenpeace campaigners led Lord Melchett, who was director at the time, were cleared of criminal damage after trashing an experimental field of GM crops in Norfolk. In each case the damage was not disputed – the point at issue was the motive.
“This verdict marks a tipping point for the climate change movement,” as one participant said.
This in my opinion would fall into the category of “jury nullification” – an “of the people, by the people and for the people” concept of law governments, judges appointed by government officeholders and corporations greatly fear.
Corporations especially fear it, for it rattles them so to think that, after paying all those bribes, they might still not have total control of society.
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posted by Tom Nadeau at 9:13 AM
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