Just Stop Oil Activists Acquitted of Harassment Charges

Today, eight Just Stop Oil activists were acquitted of intentional harassment, by Deputy District Judge Evans at Stratford Magistrates’ Court, following a successful submission that there was no case to answer. Not guilty verdicts were recorded in relation to all eight defendants.

The case related a protest which took place outside of Rishi Sunak’s Kensington house in November 2023 when he was Prime Minister. The activists held a vigil outside his address in advance of COP28, including a performance of her song ‘We Tried’ by Louise Harris and a number of speeches.

The Prosecution alleged that, although the then-Prime Minister was not present at the address, the activists intended to cause Mr Sunak harassment, alarm or distress. They alleged that the activists acted together to engage in threatening, abusive, insulting and disorderly behaviour by their speeches and music. They alleged that one of Mr Sunak’s neighbours, who has gone outside because he was intrigued by the noise, was distressed by this.

The submission of no case to answer asserted that there was insufficient evidence to warrant the case proceeding any further as a tribunal could not possibly convict based on the evidence heard by the court.

We are pleased with this ruling by the judge. Her reasoned decision made it clear that the assertions regarding the conduct of the protesters were not supported by the objective footage of the event.

This ruling means that all sixteen defendants prosecuted for their attendance at this vigil have now been acquitted.

Katie McFadden and Laura O’Brien represented three of the defendants and cross examined the civilian witness on behalf of all defendants. They were assisted in this case by Georgia Pritchard and Denilson Marku.