Just Stop Oil M25 blockade case

R v Hallam
Roger Hallam in 2020
Court	Southwark Crown Court
Full case name	Rex v Hallam and others
Decided	18 July 2024
Court membership
Judge sitting	Christopher Hehir

R v Hallam was a 2024 British court case involving five activists from the climate protest group Just Stop Oil. The activists were convicted of conspiracy to cause public nuisance after they organised protests to block the M25 motorway in November 2022. Roger Hallam, co-founder of Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, while his fellow activists Daniel Shaw, Louise Lancaster, Lucia Whittaker De Abreu and Cressida Gethin were sentenced to four years each. The activists have been collectively referred to as the "Whole Truth Five" in Just Stop Oil's social media posts.^[1]

The severity of the sentences sparked widespread criticism from various quarters. They are thought to be the longest sentences ever given in the UK for peaceful protest. Among the critics are UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk, the United Nations special rapporteur for environmental defenders Michel Forst, Amnesty International and former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams.