GREENPEACE VS THE UK GOVERNMENT AND 30 OIL COMPANIES

GREENPEACE VS THE UK GOVERNMENT AND 30 OIL COMPANIES JUDGMENT TOMORROW 13 October 1997 At 1400 hrs on Tuesday 14th October, in Middlesborough, Mr Justice Laws will give his judgment on the Greenpeace leave application for a Judicial investigation of the Government's oil licensing of the Atlantic Frontier. After an unprecedented three-week reserved judgment, Mr Justice Laws will deliver his verdict in Court One at the Teeside Combined Court Centre on Russell Street, Middlesborough. Greenpeace will be present to receive the verdict and will inform the media of the result outside the court and from London, directly the hearing is over. The oil industry's Atlantic Frontier Environmental Network said in the last few weeks that, if Greenpeace wins the Judicial Review, the Government may have to choose between closing down the offshore oil industry or suspending the recently granted exploration licenses for a couple of years. Greenpeace Executive Director Peter Melchett will be in London for responses to the judgement. Campaigner Sarah North will be in Middlesborough. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: To contact Press Officer Mirella Lindenfels in Middlesborough, please call 01399 1133 and ask for pager 787 076 or on mobile 0410 392651. For assistance in London please contact the Greenpeace Press Office on 0171-865 8255/6/7/8 Notes to Correspondents 1) The case contests that the Government failed to apply the European Habitats Directive before issuing licensing for oil and gas exploration in the area known as the Atlantic Frontier, West of the Shetlands. The Habitats Directive should have been applied to the cold water corals of the area which constitute, Greenpeace argues, one of the habitat's deserving of special protection under the Directive.
In addition to the Habitats Directive as it applies to the coral, the Greenpeace case contests that the Government failed to carry out required environmental checks to protect St Kilda which is designated as a special protection area under the Habitats and Birds Directive. The Government and oil industry have attempted to have the case rejected on a legal technicality.