Scottish Law Lords ruling on illegality of Tridents
Phill Jones | 25.03.2001 17:23
On Friday 30th March, at 10 am three Law Lords in the High Court in Edinburgh are to deliver a historic ruling on the illegality of the British Trident nuclear weapons system and on the right of citizens to break the law in order to prevent the State from committing war-crimes.
This follows a nine day hearing in the High Court after the acquital of three women accused of causing £80,000 of criminal damage to a Trident support boat in Loch Goil at Greenock Sheriff Court in 1999.
It may take some time to fully digest the lengthy ruling and we do not expect a simple judgement.
Trident Ploughshares and Scottish CND - the organisers of the Big Blockade of Faslane in February - however are calling for people to support an all-night candle-lit vigil outside the High Court in Edinburgh from 5pm on Thursday 29th March. We want hundreds of people to hear the Law Lords deliver their opinion and call for everyone who can to attend the court at 10am on Friday morning. Please come to the vigil even if you can only come for a few minutes, an hour or for all night and bring candles, banners, musical instruments, hot food and drink to share, sleeping bags, mats and blankets.
On Saturday 7th April there will be a rally / action at the Faslane Trident base. We will be there to celebrate if Trident has been ruled illegal (and to start dismantling the base immediately) and there to continue the protest if they let Trident off on a technicality.
Assemble at the north gate from 11am. There will be speakers from the Greenock Three, Trident Ploughshares and Scottish CND at the north gate to explain the significance on the ruling by the Judges. We will be trying to organize transport so please contact the Scottish CND office on 0141 423 1222 or the Big Blockade Action Line 0141 433 2859 if you can share / organise transport or need a lift. Bring banners, musical instruments and equipment to start the dismantling of Trident.
There will be other events over the weekend (including April Fool‚s Day) following the ruling but these haven't been finalised yet. Come to the vigil and / or hearing to find out what is planned.
The delivery of the opinion in the High Court will be a historic event. This is the first time any nuclear weapons state has considered the illegality of the nuclear weapons in its highest court. Importantly the court was also considering what rights citizens have to break the law in order to prevent the State from committing war crimes.
The ruling will affect anyone who has ever been arrested taking action against nuclear weapons at Faslane or Coulport or anywhere else related to Trident including the 386 people arrested in February at the Big Blockade.
Please pass this information around urgently. It is possible that there will be a media black-out to dampen down interest especially south of the border.
Contact the Scottish CND office: 0141 423 1222 or www.cndscot.dial.pipex.com or Trident Ploughshares: 01324 880744 for more details.
(Advance notice: Instead of next February, the next big Blockade of Faslane will be on Monday 22nd October - we haven't got a name for it yet...)
It may take some time to fully digest the lengthy ruling and we do not expect a simple judgement.
Trident Ploughshares and Scottish CND - the organisers of the Big Blockade of Faslane in February - however are calling for people to support an all-night candle-lit vigil outside the High Court in Edinburgh from 5pm on Thursday 29th March. We want hundreds of people to hear the Law Lords deliver their opinion and call for everyone who can to attend the court at 10am on Friday morning. Please come to the vigil even if you can only come for a few minutes, an hour or for all night and bring candles, banners, musical instruments, hot food and drink to share, sleeping bags, mats and blankets.
On Saturday 7th April there will be a rally / action at the Faslane Trident base. We will be there to celebrate if Trident has been ruled illegal (and to start dismantling the base immediately) and there to continue the protest if they let Trident off on a technicality.
Assemble at the north gate from 11am. There will be speakers from the Greenock Three, Trident Ploughshares and Scottish CND at the north gate to explain the significance on the ruling by the Judges. We will be trying to organize transport so please contact the Scottish CND office on 0141 423 1222 or the Big Blockade Action Line 0141 433 2859 if you can share / organise transport or need a lift. Bring banners, musical instruments and equipment to start the dismantling of Trident.
There will be other events over the weekend (including April Fool‚s Day) following the ruling but these haven't been finalised yet. Come to the vigil and / or hearing to find out what is planned.
The delivery of the opinion in the High Court will be a historic event. This is the first time any nuclear weapons state has considered the illegality of the nuclear weapons in its highest court. Importantly the court was also considering what rights citizens have to break the law in order to prevent the State from committing war crimes.
The ruling will affect anyone who has ever been arrested taking action against nuclear weapons at Faslane or Coulport or anywhere else related to Trident including the 386 people arrested in February at the Big Blockade.
Please pass this information around urgently. It is possible that there will be a media black-out to dampen down interest especially south of the border.
Contact the Scottish CND office: 0141 423 1222 or www.cndscot.dial.pipex.com or Trident Ploughshares: 01324 880744 for more details.
(Advance notice: Instead of next February, the next big Blockade of Faslane will be on Monday 22nd October - we haven't got a name for it yet...)
Phill Jones
e-mail:
phill_jones@hotmail.com
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