RATCLIFFE HANGER

“The appellants were convicted following a trial in which elementary principles which underpin the fairness of our trial procedures were ignored” – The words of the appropriately named Lord Judge as 20 climate protesters had their convictions quashed this week by the appeal court.

Originally 114 people were arrested in a pre-emptive raid on a squatted school on 14th April 2009 -  for allegedly planning to shut down Ratcliffe powerstation. 26 were charged with conspiracy to commit aggravated trespass, 20 used the defence of lawful excuse, but were ultimately convicted (SchNEWS 752).

Their convictions were overturned as, by the time the other six came to trial, Mark Kennedy (née Stone) had been outed as an undercover cop and the cases were dropped amid rumours he was planning to testify for the defence.