OCTOBER 8, 2014 Cuadrilla injunction case designed to “stop the...

OCTOBER 8, 2014 Cuadrilla injunction case designed to “stop the exercise of human rights” Tina Louise Rothery gave her reaction to the outcome of today’s injunction case brought by Cuadrilla and a group of Fylde landowners. A judge at Manchester High Court extended an interim injunction against anti-fracking protests on land at Little Plumpton and Roseacre. He also decided that Miss Rothery, the only named defendant, should pay some of the £54,000 costs claimed by Cuadrilla. Court report The case was “designed to stop the exercise of human rights”, Miss Rothery said. “It feels today that this Cuadrilla-funded action was to seek to deter any free British citizen from becoming active about things that matter to them.” She said: “The challenges put before citizens seems to grow. Our rights are so limited and … justice is very hard to find because it is just so dammed expensive.” She said the court setting was not appropriate for dealing with the issues behind the case. “When can we have a court case against what Cuadrilla have been doing, taking up three years of my life? The court is not capable of looking at the reasons behind this [action]. They are more relevant.” She said 23 people, including herself, had established a camp during August in a field belonging to one of the claimants, where Cuadrilla is seeking planning permission to frack for shale gas. None of them “had ever done a single activist activity”, she said. “So how serious must this be?” She also criticised the conduct of the claimants’ lawyers. “They tried to demean my character. Why? That is an absurd use of a court room.” Miss Rothery said today’s outcome would have no impact on her campaign against fracking. “We are under an obligation to future generations to have clean air and clean water”, she said. “We cannot stop.” “This was designed to stop us by tiring us out. That cannot happen. You have to look at how a mother protects her young. If she stops she knows her young will be threatened and she cannot do that.” Miss Rothery added: “It makes it very clear we have to stop this [fracking] before it starts. Every single thing that goes wrong will have to be challenged in a court of law. If we are hurt or if our houses are damaged, we will have to fight in a court for everything. We will put Miss Rothery’s points to Cuadrilla and report its response