In what appears to be a blow to the anti-nuclear movement, the High Court ruled “NO” today on all four points raised by the Lord Advocate’s Reference. This raises serious concerns for the ability of citizens to intervene in upholding the law. It also challenges the argument that Britain’s trident nuclear submarines are illegal under international law.

The case originated from the trial in October, 1999, of three women accused of deactivating a floating laboratory critical to the Trident nuclear submarine programme. The three women were acquitted, arguing that they were upholding international law which states that no governments will use weapons which are unable to distinguish between civilian and military targets.

The Lord Advocate referred this case to the High Court, which today handed down it’s ruling in a blunt fashion, along with over 70 pages of documentation.

The ruling does not affect the acquittal of the three women. But it does have major implications for the international movement against nuclear weapons. Although in theory a Lord Advocates Reference is used to clarify a point of law, it appears in this case to be a way of mitigating the lower court’s decision.