Two Just Stop Oil supporters were found guilty of public nuisance at Amersham Crown Court yesterday, after peacefully climbing gantries on the M25 in 2022, to demand an end to new fossil fuel projects. [1]
Daniel Mifsud and another supporter took action on the M25 on 10th November 2022. They were among scores of Just Stop Oil supporters, who climbed on gantries that week in order to sound the alarm about the government’s plan to licence over 100 new oil and gas projects against all expert advice. [2]
After a 5 day trial before Mr Recorder Nigel Sangster, the pair were found guilty of intentionally or recklessly causing a public nuisance. Sentencing will be on 13th May 2026. The Judge declined to give an indication of sentence and warned the defendants to be prepared for anything.
During the trial the Judge allowed the statutory defence of ‘reasonable excuse’. The defendants were also allowed to include agreed facts about the impacts of the climate crisis in their evidence, including an extract from a peer reviewed paper from 2020 entitled the Future of the Human Niche. This paper projected that should greenhouse gas emissions continue unabated (as they have) three and a half billion people will face near unlivable conditions creating a humanitarian catastrophe and mass migration without historical precedent. [3]
In giving evidence Daniel said:
“The year I climbed the gantry, my son was eight years old. Although climate change has been known about for most of my life, it hasn’t been something that defined my life. My deepest sadness is that I know that the effects will be severe and unavoidable during his life – and that his life will be defined by the consequences of climate change [….]”
“I acted according to my conscience because I could not explain to my son, later in life, that I knew the risks and chose to stay silent. I acted because I knew the issue was urgent and that doing nothing would be wrong.”
During his closing speech Daniel said:
“I am an ordinary person — I am a parent, a scientist by training, community minded — who is deeply concerned about an issue that affects all of us. I am not reckless or selfish. I was not acting out of spite, mischief, or thrill-seeking.
You heard about my background, my values, and how I came to be here. I did not leap straight to this action – it was a decision I made after much thought and consideration.
I took action because signing petitions, writing to MPs, and marches had failed. The warnings from respected world figures were being ignored. I took action because I believed it was the best chance that the government would take notice and reconsider. I took action because my son’s future is precious to me and I have a responsibility to keep him and future generations safe.”
In 2024 Just Stop Oil successfully won its original demand of ‘no new oil and gas’ and on March 27th 2025 announced an end to the campaign of action. However, our supporters will continue to tell the truth in court, to speak out for our political prisoners and to help build what comes next.
ENDS
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Notes to Editors
[1] Just Stop Oil is a member of the A22 Network of civil resistance projects.
April 26th 2025 was the last Just Stop Oil action, but our supporters will continue to tell the truth in the courts, speak out for our political prisoners, and call out the UK’s oppressive anti-protest laws.
Just Stop Oil continues to rely on small donations from the public to make this happen.
[2] 10th November 2022 – Just Stop Oil supporters climb M25 gantries for the fourth day causing traffic disruption in multiple locations
https://juststopoil.org/2022/11/10/just-stop-oil-supporters-climb-m25-gantries-for-the-fourth-day-causing-traffic-disruption-in-multiple-locations/
[3] The Future of the Human Niche by Chi Xu, Timothy A. Kohler, Timothy M. Lenton, Jens-Christian Svenning, and Marten Scheffer. PNAS (2020) https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.1910114117