Six Just Stop Oil supporters acquitted of disrupting key national infrastructure

Six Just Stop Oil supporters were acquitted at Southwark Crown Court on 17 April. This comes two and a half years after they took part in a slow march on Waterloo Bridge to demand an end to new oil and gas licensing.

On 8 November 2023, Sheila Shatford, Julia Mercer, David Kilroy, Geraldine James, Rosalind Bird and Gregory Sculthorpe were among approximately 50 supporters who joined a slow march around the IMAX roundabout before heading north over Waterloo Bridge.

Police arrested them and charged them under Section 7 of the Public Order Act 2023: interference with key national infrastructure. Police had only used this offence for the first time two days beforehand. It carries a maximum penalty of 12 months imprisonment, an unlimited fine, or both.

The six appeared before Judge Hiddleston at Southwark Crown Court in a trial which had to restart after one of the original jury fell ill. The jury delivered its not guilty verdict after approximately six hours of deliberation.

Following the verdict, Geraldine James, 62, a retired child psychotherapist from Plymouth, said:

This is a great verdict and sends a message that the police overreached their powers by charging us with Section 7. We did not cause a significant delay. It serves our democracy ill to invent anti protest laws to be used against a nonviolent and purposeful movement.

I have no regrets. I took action on behalf of children everywhere; the house that they live in is on fire and my generation is responsible.

Despite ending new oil or gas licences our government is now solely focussed on silencing dissent while the climate catastrophe continues. These laws must be repealed.

Dave Kilroy, 66, a retired cabinetmaker from Plymouth, said:

We are pleased that the jury sided with our cause – however just like all other Just Stop Oil supporters we took action in an open and accountable way and would have accepted it if the decision had gone the other way.

And just to repeat why we took action – we oppose the use of fossil fuels and call on the government to rapidly decarbonise the economy – for all our sakes!

The trial

During the five day trial, the Judge denied the defendants all legal defences, including reasonable excuse and necessity, and ruled that agreed facts on climate were “irrelevant”. The defendants were, however, given around 20 minutes each to talk about their motivations for taking action.

The jury was asked to consider whether the defendants had caused a significant delay to other road users and if so whether that was their intention or they were reckless as to whether that would have been the result.

The police produced a compilation of video evidence showing the march and demonstrating some traffic build-up. But they offered no evidence of what normal traffic flow looks like at that location. Laura Stockdale, acting for Greg Sculthorpe, questioned whether the jury could be sure that this congestion was more than would normally occur on a weekday in central London.

She also suggested there would have been less delay if police had let the march continue to the other end of the bridge. And if police themselves hadn’t closed the southbound carriageway. DI Kevin Pender for the Metropolitan police responded that they couldn’t be sure what the marchers were planning to do.

Just Stop Oil supporters’ motivation

The defendants each emphasised their desire to draw attention to the climate crisis. They also spoke of the care and careful planning that went into undertaking a march. All denied that there was any intention to cause anything more than minor slowing of traffic.

In her defence evidence, Sheila Shatford spoke movingly of what inspired her to take action. This included remembering a childhood teacher whose family had been affected by the Aberfan disaster in which 116 children were killed. She said:

Only later did I understand that the slag heap belonged to the National Coal Board, and that warnings were given before the disaster, but no one listened.

She went on to recount how she had learned about the climate emergency and said:

I realised that it’s always the poorest and most vulnerable that are most affected and have the smallest voice. I read and found out the climate emergency was real – there is overwhelming evidence that it’s happening now, and very soon we won’t be able to stop it.

Then home secretary Suella Braverman introduced the 2023 Public Order Act specifically to target climate protest. It named groups such as Extinction Rebellion, Just Stop Oil, and Insulate Britain as the reason for its introduction. Hundreds of Just Stop Oil supporters have had charges under Section 7 and are awaiting trial. But, because of the justice system backlog, this was only the second case before the courts since May 2024.

The first person convicted of the offence was Stephen Gingell. He got six months in jail after pleading guilty in December 2023.

In 2024, Just Stop Oil successfully won its original demand of ‘no new oil and gas’. And on 27 March 2025, it announced an end to the campaign of action. However, it promises that supporters will continue to tell the truth in court. They’ll also speak out for political prisoners and help build what comes next.

Featured image via Just Stop Oil

By The Canary

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