header-logo header-logo

Home Login E-newsletter About us
12 April 2024 / Neil Parpworth
Issue: 8066 / Categories: Features , Human rights , Public , In Court
printer mail-detail

Greta Thunberg: assembling peacefully?

© Copyright LexisNexis 2026. All Rights Reserved.
167824
The Swedish activist pleaded not guilty to a public order offence—and the court agreed. Neil Parpworth explains the ruling
  • Covers the events on 17 October 2023, which resulted in Thunberg’s arrest.
  • Discusses the wider context of offences under s 14 of the Public Order Act 1986, and the way they have evolved.
  • Despite the widening of police powers, this particular ruling reflects a non-deferential approach to police decisions, which must be upheld in order to protect ECHR freedoms.

The environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg was recently found not guilty by Westminster Magistrates’ Court of a public order offence in relation to a protest by Greenpeace and Fossil Free London activists outside the InterContinental London Park Lane hotel in Mayfair, which took place on 17 October 2023. Inside the hotel, oil executives had been participating in a three-day event, the Energy Intelligence Forum, which explains why the protestors were chanting and holding banners reading: ‘Oily money out’ and ‘Make polluters pay.’

At her trial, Thunberg pleaded not guilty to an offence alleged

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Read All
Sponsored by
NLJ Career Profile: Ling Ong, London Market FOIL

NLJ Career Profile: Ling Ong, London Market FOIL

Ling Ong, partner at Weightmans and president of London Market FOIL, discusses her biggest inspirations, the challenges of AI and the importance of tackling unconscious bias

DWF—Imogen Francis

DWF—Imogen Francis

Director and head of IP team joins in Birmingham

Penningtons Manches Cooper—five promotions

Penningtons Manches Cooper—five promotions

Firm boosts partnership and costs practice with five senior promotions

NEWS
Read All
NLJ this week: Mazur and more—inside the litigation frontline

From blockbuster judgments to procedural shake-ups, the courts are busy reshaping litigation practice. Writing in NLJ this week, Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School hails the Court of Appeal's 'exquisite judgment’ in Mazur restoring the role of supervised non-qualified staff, and highlights a ‘mammoth’ damages ruling likened to War and Peace, alongside guidance on medical reporting fees, where a pragmatic 25% uplift was imposed

NLJ this week: Social media bans for children spark legal dilemmas
Momentum is building behind proposals to restrict children’s access to social media—but the legal and practical challenges are formidable. In NLJ this week, Nick Smallwood of Mills & Reeve examines global moves, including Australia’s under-16 ban and the UK's consultation
NLJ this week: Leasehold reform risks creating ‘forgotten freeholders’
Reforms designed to rebalance landlord-tenant relations may instead penalise leaseholders themselves. In this week's NLJ, Mike Somekh of The Freehold Collective warns that the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 risks creating an ‘underclass’ of resident-controlled freehold companies
NLJ this week: Court of Appeal clarifies when a claim truly begins
Timing is everything—and the Court of Appeal has delivered clarity on when proceedings are ‘brought’. In his latest 'Civil way' column for NLJ, Stephen Gold explains that a claim is issued for limitation purposes when the claim form is delivered to the court, even if fees are underpaid
NLJ this week: Split FDRs could ease pressure—and boost settlements
The traditional ‘single, intensive day’ of financial dispute resolution (FDR) may be due for a rethink. Writing in NLJ this week, Rachel Frost-Smith and Lauren Guiler of Birketts propose a ‘split FDR’ model, separating judicial evaluation from negotiation
Copyright © 2026 LexisNexis
back-to-top-scroll