Friday 1st February 2008
High Court
Royal Courts of Justice
London
Women from Aldermaston Women's Peace Camp gathered with banners outside the High Court on the Strand at 09.30 before going into court to listen intently to the proceedings.
The Women's barrister, David Pievsky, put a clear concise case, backed with legal argument as to why the 21 year old camp should continue with its monthly weekend witness for peace outside AWE Aldermaston.
The MoD barrister did not appear to win the argument for making the camp illegal and Judge Walker thought it was nonsense to have a bylaw where someone hanging their coat on a fence on a hot day could be arrested. Judge Kay asked that both barristers went straight into the case, indicating that he had given permission on his pre-reading of the papers for a rolled up hearing. Permission was granted without a preliminary hearing when the case could have been thrown out as unworthy of the court's time.
The court rose just after 4pm but as judgment was reserved, it could be 2 weeks or so before the barristers are recalled to hear the judgment.
see
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/berkshire/7222338.stm