Protest – Too Much?

Despite protests from environmental groups groups the Court has granted a peremptory injunction to prevent fracking protesters entering a number of connected business locations and exploration sites.

The Facts

Ineos is a global manufacturer of chemicals and oil products whose commercial activities include shale gas exploration in the UK. Ineos is engaged in "fracking" which is one method of gas exploration and involves the hydraulic fracturing of rock formations. Ineos feared there would be protests at eight sites [the owners and lessees of those sites were also claimants in this action]. Protestors against fracking had in the past entered land and buildings in other locations without the consent of the owners and lessees and interfered with the rights to pass and repass with or without vehicles, materials and equipment over private access roads of those other locations. Most of the acts of protest had not yet taken place at any of the eight sites but Ineos brought