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Trial of Angela Ditchfield

Country/Territory
United Kingdom
Date
Jan 1, 2021
Source
UNEP, InforMEA
Court name
Cambridge Magistrates' Court
Seat of court
England and Wales
Reference number
N/A
Abstract
An Extinction Rebellion protester was cleared of criminal liability for defacing a council building after successfully arguing that she was acting to defend her property. Angela Ditchfield was arrested after spray-painting two "XR" symbols onto the headquarters of the Cambridgeshire County Council during a protest in December 2018. She argued that she had a legal excuse to commit vandalism because she believed climate disaster posed an imminent threat to her property. According to news reports, on November 1, 2019 she was found not guilty at Cambridge Magistrates' Court, which found that she was acting to protect land and homes.

Key environmental legal questions:

Whether climate protester could assert necessity defense to escape liability for vandalism.
Full text
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