Owen Greenhall, of the Garden Court Protest Team, was instructed by Raj Chada of Hodge, Jones and Allen Solicitors.
The Court of Appeal reduced sentences for five Just Stop Oil activists who were convicted of conspiracy to cause public nuisance by blocking the M25 motorway. The Lady Chief Justice ruled that the trial judge was wrong not to take into account the protestors’ conscientious motivation in passing sentence.
The case reasserted the importance of conscientious motivation in the sentencing of defendants for acts of civil disobedience, which should be considered even in cases where the level of disruption was high. The Court also confirmed that the protestors’ rights under Articles 10 and 11 remained engaged even where the acts involved trespass or minor damage to a cultural artifact. The Court of Appeal also ruled that the trial judge failed to give appropriate weight to immaturity as a factor in sentencing young persons.
The case was heard as a conjoined appeal in relation to four different Just Stop Oil cases. Owen prepared grounds of appeal common to all cases in the joint appeal. He also acted for all five appellants in the M25 conspiracy case, including Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil co-founder Roger Hallam. Sentences were reduced for all the appellants in the M25 conspiracy case.
Owen is co-convenor of the Garden Court Protest Team. He was led by Danny Friedman KC of Matrix Chambers. Owen was instructed by Raj Chada of Hodge, Jones and Allen Solicitors who also appeared as an advocate for co-appellants. Other advocates representing co-appellants were Brenda Campbell KC (Garden Court door tenant), Jacob Bindman, Robbie Stern, Rosalind Comyn, John Briant, Francesca Cociani and Laura O’Brien. Alex Goodman KC and Jessica Jones represented Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace who intervened in the case.
Read the full judgment here: R v Hallam & Ors [2025] EWCA Crim 199.
The case has received widespread media attention, including BBC News, The Independent, The Guardian and Financial Times (paywall).
