Animal Rights & Environmental Activism
Over the last decade, we have seen the development of extremely strong and committed protesting by direct action activists. In many cases this protesting amounts to bullying, intimidation and constitutes harassment. It is often the case that allegedly lawful campaigns incorporate highly illegal actions that are designed to intimidate and prevent companies from conducting their lawful business.
On 20 April 2003, the Observer reported that already 2000 company directors had been forced to remove their private home addresses from statutory records because of the direct action tactics of animal rights activists.
Clearly freedom of speech and of association are fundamental principles which must be cherished in a liberal democracy. However a great deal of unlawful and unacceptable behaviour is being carried out in the name of Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Association. It is clear that a balance needs to be struck between the right of victims to carry on with their lawful business activities and the rights of activists to protest. Since the mid-1990’s this firm has been working with industry, the police and the government to try and achieve the right balance between these competing interests.
This firm has obtained ground-breaking injunctions on behalf of a number of high-profile international companies in the vivisection, pharmaceutical and energy supply sectors that have been victims of robust and highly organised direct action tactics.
Lawson-Cruttenden & Co. has developed extensive links with many of the police forces across England and Wales to assist with the policing of injunctions. Members of the firm have also been involved with lecturing generally on this area of law.
We are the market leading practice in this highly specialised area of the law.
Practitioner: Timothy Lawson-Cruttenden
Animal Rights & Environmental Activism
Animal Rights & Environmental Activism
Over the last decade, we have seen the development of extremely strong and committed protesting by direct action activists. In many cases this protesting amounts to bullying, intimidation and constitutes harassment. It is often the case that allegedly lawful campaigns incorporate highly illegal actions that are designed to intimidate and prevent companies from conducting their lawful business.
On 20 April 2003, the Observer reported that already 2000 company directors had been forced to remove their private home addresses from statutory records because of the direct action tactics of animal rights activists.
Clearly freedom of speech and of association are fundamental principles which must be cherished in a liberal democracy. However a great deal of unlawful and unacceptable behaviour is being carried out in the name of Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Association. It is clear that a balance needs to be struck between the right of victims to carry on with their lawful business activities and the rights of activists to protest. Since the mid-1990’s this firm has been working with industry, the police and the government to try and achieve the right balance between these competing interests.
This firm has obtained ground-breaking injunctions on behalf of a number of high-profile international companies in the vivisection, pharmaceutical and energy supply sectors that have been victims of robust and highly organised direct action tactics.
Lawson-Cruttenden & Co. has developed extensive links with many of the police forces across England and Wales to assist with the policing of injunctions. Members of the firm have also been involved with lecturing generally on this area of law.
We are the market leading practice in this highly specialised area of the law.
Practitioner: Timothy Lawson-Cruttenden