Nine Insulate Britain activists face contempt of court hearings over M25 demos

National Highways has made nine applications to the High Court for contempt of court against Insulate Britain activists for breaching injunctions by blocking the M25.

The court will need to decide whether members of the environmental campaign group breached orders that were made earlier this month.

Protesters could face fines and even jail time if found to be in breach.

Over the past two months Insulate Britain has blocked the busy motorway multiple times before announcing that they would suspend their protests.

Potential imprisonment

A spokesperson for National Highways said:

National Highways is now taking the first group of activists from Insulate Britain to court, for breaching injunctions by blocking the M25.

We will continue working with the police to bring those who carried out dangerous and disruptive action to justice.

Those activists will now receive a court summons and could face imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine.

Timings are now in the hands of the court but we expect hearings will take place as soon as possible.

National Highways confirmed that so far nine applications for committal have been made to the High Court.

Climate crisis

Members of Insulate Britain were previously made subject to three other injunctions granted to National Highways, banning demonstrations on the M25, around the Port of Dover and on major roads around London.

On Tuesday, a judge at the Royal Courts of Justice extended an injunction granted to Transport for London (TfL) against Insulate Britain.

TfL was granted a civil banning order aimed at preventing protesters from obstructing traffic on some of the capital’s busiest roads.

According to court documents from an earlier hearing, 112 people have been served with court orders related to the Insulate Britain protests.