HS2 granted route-wide injunction to tackle environmental protests
A high court judge has granted a route-wide injunction to HS2 to prevent environmental protesters from accessing hundreds of miles of land earmarked for the controversial route. It is thought to be one of the largest injunctions of its kind against protesters granted by a court.
HS2 and the secretary of state for transport, the claimants in the case, applied to the high court for the route-wide injunction on 22 March, arguing that unlawful protests had hindered construction of the route. The claimants said the protesters had committed offences of trespass and nuisance.
Dozens of environmental activists opposed the injunction application and some gave evidence during the court hearing.
An appeal is now being considered, according to lawyers representing one of the environmental activists. Nicola Hall of Robert Lizar solicitors, representing the activist James Knaggs, said: “This is a disappointing outcome. This injunction represents a concerning extension of the powers of a state-owned limited company to control and police large swathes of land across England. There is a concern that it constitutes a wide-ranging restriction on protests opposed to HS2 and is of extremely large geographical scope. It applies to very large areas of land, much of which is unfenced and unmarked.”
In the judgment handed down on Tuesday Mr Justice Knowles said: “I am satisfied that the risk of trespass and nuisance will continue unless restrained.”
In evidence to the court, environmental protesters said HS2 “would hammer another nail into the coffin of the climate crisis”.
Although the judge accepted that “massive tracts of land are potentially affected”, he said he was satisfied that “there has been significant violence, criminality, and sometimes
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