Climate Camp Cymru arrest

We represented Mr Jones (not his real name) who was arrested on 15th August 2009 at the Ffos y Fan area of Merthyr in South Wales  where Climate Camp Cymru was being held.

He was charged on 16th August with a minor offence of breaching an Order under Section 12 of the Public Order Act which is designed to prevent persons as part of a public procession entering a designated area. The case is yet to be decided by the Merthyr Magistrates.

The police did not want Mr Jones on his release from the police station to return to the camp at Ffos y Fan, nor indeed to attend any other Climate Camps, and so they drew up bail conditions to that effect.

Mr Jones, having been charged , explained to the police that he could not and would not accept the conditions not to enter Merthyr County, and not to attend any Climate Camps, and so the police decided to keep him in custody and let the Magistrates set the bail conditions, if any.

The following day Kate Williams from our office represented Mr Jones at Merthyr Magistrates Court. She argued that the condition not to enter Merthyr County was unneccessary as the camp at Ffos y Fan had ended, and that the condition not to attend any Climate Camp in the UK was ill – defined, disproportionate and unenforceable. The Magistrates agreed, and Mr Jones, who had entered a Not Guilty plea, was given unconditional bail until the pre-trial review hearing in September.

Moral – Don’t accept wide and ill-defined Police bail conditions!