Bristol 15 June 2012 10 am - 4 pm
What if the UK government was made legally responsible for permitting policies that caused extensive destruction to UK coastal waters?
Conducted as a real trial with barristers, jury and judge, the marine Ecocide trial powerfully illustrates how this would work in practice [1, 2, 3, 8].
Bristol Law School principal lecturer in law and organiser, Benjamin Pontin, says: "Documentation and arguments used at this trial will be used as legal precedents in future ecocide trials."
He adds: "Unlike the previous Ecocide trial at the Supreme Court which used actors, this one has genuine witnesses." [1] The trial will be transcribed and made available for future legal cases.
The Ecocide Law was drafted in 2010 by barrister, Polly Higgins, who will be present at Friday's trial. Polly Higgins is part of the campaign to make Ecocide the 5th United Nations Crime against Peace. [5]
Jonathon Porritt CBE - environmentalist and director of Forum for the Future - will give evidence as an expert witness for the prosecution to show beyond reasonable doubt that the UK government has failed to protect the UK fish stocks and marine life, and is guilty of Ecocide.
He will be joined by Kelvin Boot, science communicator and editor of Marine Life; Dr Jean-Luc Solandt, Marine Conservation Society Biodiversity Officer; Tom Appleby; leading marine environmental lawyer and UWE senior lecturer, Charles Redfern, founder and MD of sustainable canned fish brand, Fish4Ever and campaigner, and Elisabeth Winkler, informed consumer. [6]
The burden of proof is Parliementary Under Secretary of State for natural environment and fisheries, Richard Benyon MP, says the government will plead not guilty to the criminal charge of environmental destruction of marine life.
The government's case will be represented at the marine Ecocide trial by Lib Dem MEP, Sir Graham Watson and the chief executive of the New Under Ten Fishermen's Association (NUFTA), Jeremy Percy.
Fish4Ever's mermaids and Greenpeace's fish will be there, demonstrating on behalf of their fellow sea creatures.
Photo opportunity: 15 June 1 pm at Bordeaux Quay [7].
Notes to Editor
1. High-profile Ecocide trials include the Gulf oil spill and Canadian crude oil mining
