Punishment without trial: Britain's latest weapon in the war against dissent | George Monbiot

Companies are taking out devastating 'civil injunctions' against climate activists - and making them pay the costsApparently, it's not enough for the police to be given powers to shut down any protest they choose. It's not enough for peaceful protesters to face 10 years in prison for seeking to defend the living planet, or to be deprived of the right to explain their actions to a jury. Now they are also being pursued through another means altogether: the civil courts. And the penalties imposed in these cases, with or without trial, legal aid or presumption of innocence, can be much greater.The law in England and Wales permits corporations and government bodies to create their own system of punishment. The tool it grants them is a simple one, with massive, complex and ever-ramifying consequences. It's called the civil injunction.George Monbiot is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...