UK Law Firm Seeks £1m from Climate Activists for Protest Bans
- DLA Piper, UK's largest law firm, is aiming to recover £1m in costs related to protest bans secured for National Highways and HS2 by climate activists.
- The costs incurred from the injunctions are being pursued by the law firm from the activists.
- Climate activists may face financial repercussions due to the protest bans imposed by the UK's biggest law firm.
Britain's largest law firm, DLA Piper, is pursuing over £1 million from climate activists to recover legal costs associated with court orders that prohibit protests. The firm has been acting on behalf of National Highways Limited (NHL) and HS2 Ltd, both public entities, to secure injunctions against more than 200 activists, primarily from groups like Just Stop Oil and Insulate Britain. The investigation by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) revealed that DLA Piper has charged fees as high as £350 per hour and incurred costs of £75,000 for individual hearings. The legal actions initiated by NHL and HS2 in 2021 aimed to prevent protests on motorways and high-speed rail construction sites. While many activists complied with the injunctions, some have faced significant financial repercussions. One protester reported that the £5,000 in costs sought against her would take eight years to repay, while another, Louise Lancaster, received a suspended sentence and was ordered to pay £22,000 after continuing her protests. DLA Piper's largest claim amounts to £727,573.84, targeting around 140 protesters involved in blocking the M25. Additionally, the firm has sought £75,891.84 from those who contested the renewal of the injunctions. In a separate case, costs of £229,525.35 were listed against 12 protesters for contempt of court, bringing the total sought to nearly £1 million. HS2 Ltd has stated that it supports lawful protest but has taken legal action only against illegal activities.