Highlights:

• NEWS & COURT CASES FROM:  ICJ, Sweden, Portugal, UK, Italy and Spain
• SOLIDARITY & CROWDFUNDING: Support Sam’s release!
• RESOURCES & EVENTS: Direct action forum in the UK, surveys and setting up legal aid!

A Legally Green Bulletin full of good news? This time it is! (We’re just as surprised as you are.) While we usually have a lot of concerning and important developments to share, this month we are delighted to see a large number of historic wins! Regardless if the tides are shifting or not, we are all due some good news so please share this newsletter with your friends and help us grow!  

The goal of this monthly bulletin is to gather some of the many court cases, calls for solidarity and resources, or trainings across Europe. Help us spread the word and ask your friends to sign up here.

NB: We know this is only a small selection, if you have any news, solidarity call out or resource you want us to include in the next bulletin – don’t hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected] 

NEWS & COURT CASES

International

ICJ delivers historic protections for climate-impacted communities. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) decision delivers historic protections that strengthen the responsibilities of States under international law beyond the Paris Agreement, with several key additional obligations including the duty of all countries to prevent significant harm to the environment and the duty to cooperate.

The Court’s decision obligates States to regulate businesses on the harm caused by their emissions regardless of where the harm takes place. Significantly, the Court found that the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is fundamental for all other human rights, and that intergenerational equity should guide the interpretation of all climate obligations. Read more

UK

The high court has said a bid to overturn the proscription of Palestine Action as a terr0r1st organisation can go ahead. For some background on the draconian anti-protest laws in the UK see this short informative IG reel

After deliberating for more than a week, Justice Martin Chamberlain sided with the claimant, Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori, by deciding her legal challenge should proceed to a full judicial review hearing. This could take place as early as September. Read more

Sweden
The 9 of July 2025 the Supreme Court in Sweden ruled on whether demonstrating by blockading traffic on a highway for a short period constituted sabotage; a very serious crime that is punishable by imprisonment. The Supreme Court has found that the action does not constitute sabotage, even if it is disruptive.

Translated excerpt from the court’s decision “A road blockade of this kind, which is limited in time in connection with a peaceful demonstration, is not qualitatively comparable to the attacks and disruptions of vital public interests covered by the penal provision on sabotage, even if the blockade took place on a busy thoroughfare during rush hour and caused long traffic jams. What has been statedabout the delayed ambulance does not affect this assessment. Therefore, there are no grounds for convicting the participants of sabotage.

Portugal

Over the past two years, our friends at Climáximo’s Legal Team have supported nearly one hundred people who carried out actions that risked arrest, covering a total of 72 cases . Climaximo have their own legal newsletter and roundup of court cases happening in Portugal! Dive deeper into the state of repression on their website and consider subscribing to their newsletter!

Italy

In a landmark decision, Italy’s highest court ruled that Italian judges can hear climate change lawsuits to protect people’s human rights. This decision supports the appeal case filed in June 2024 by 12 Italian citizens, Greenpeace Italy, and ReCommon against energy giant ENI and its main shareholders, the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) and Cassa Depositi e Prestiti S.p.A. (CDP), Italy’s development bank. Read more

Spain

Historic win! Spanish court confirms authorities must protect citizens from industrial livestock harm. The ruling could set a precedent across Europe. 

The High Court of Justice of Galicia has ruled today for the first time that authorities failing to properly address water pollution from industrial livestock are violating people’s fundamental rights – and should be held accountable. Read more

Europe

Win for the environment and health! Car manufacturers have been ordered to reveal key Dieselgate information about when and how allegedly illegal defeat devices are being used. Read more

SOLIDARITY & CROWDFUNDING

UK

After 4 months in prison, Sam is free! Sam was given an unjustly long sentence for blockading an oil terminal with This is Rigged in 2023. Today, the appeal against his custodial sentence was successful and he has now been released! Read more and please consider donating to CASP, Rebels In Prison Support, and This is Rigged organisations to allow for more activists to be supported like Sam. Link to their donation page

RESOURCES & EVENTS

• Join Fossil Free London in discussion about “Direct Action – has it come unstuck? Draconian Laws, disengagement and doomism; how to arm ourselves with psychological research, legal literacy, and effective action logic, to unite in active hope for a fairer, more resilient future.”  at Love Shack, Bethnal Green, East London on the evening of Wednesday 27th August. Book a ticket here; anyone who needs a free ticket email: [email protected] to get on the guest list 
• A new survey of more than 200 environmental defenders from around the world show they are facing increasing online threats of death, sexual violence, doxxing (publishing private or identifying information about an individual online) and other cyberattacks because of their work. Have a look
• ACTIVIST LEGAL SUPPORT TEAM’S HOW TO –  While this toolkit doesn’t have every piece of information you could need, it’s a great place to start. It will help you think about important steps of legal work while preparing an action. Read and download it from this link.

About Legally Green

Since autumn of 2022, the Movement Hub coordinates Legally Green – an informal network of lawyers who support activists across Europe and activist-led legal support groups. The network has over 100 members from over 60 organizations in more than 20 countries in Europe.
The network operates via mailing list and meets bi-monthly to share experience, discuss cases, trends, get help, learn from each other to increase our collective capacities to resist legal repressions. Contact [email protected] if you have any questions, or wish to join the network.