This month, we’ve got a full newsletter, so take some time to have a read through. One more thing: you can join the The ClientEarth Summit 2026: law and justice for a better future

 from today until the 26th. Check out the details below!

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

A US court has sided with fossil fuel pipeline giant Energy Transfer and ordered Greenpeace International and Greenpeace entities in the US to pay them US $345 million.⁣

⁣Greenpeace International and Greenpeace entities in the US will seek a new trial, and if necessary, appeal this ruling in North Dakota. Meanwhile, Greenpeace International, which is based in the Netherlands, has taken Energy Transfer to court under the European Union’s new anti-intimidation laws. This is not over.⁣ Read more

Bulgaria

On the eve of the national holiday, Bulgaria was condemned by the European Court of Human Rights. This was due to the institutions’ inaction in the face of illegal coal mining, with excavation activities undermining the foundations of a house and rendering it unsafe. This decision sets an important precedent for cases involving environmental risk and institutional inaction. It is more than just compensation; it is a reminder that the rule of law is not a formality, but a protection for the people. Read more

Belgium

In March 2024, supported by three NGOs, Hugues Falys took TotalEnergies to court for its responsibility in the climate crisis. Several events – droughts and heat waves in particular – had a heavy impact on his farming activities. The Farmer Case is the first time a Belgian citizen has sued a multinational corporation for climate harms. Just over two years after the launch of the Farmer Case, the Tournai Commercial Court in Tournai has ruled that the legal action against TotalEnergies regarding its climate liability is admissible, despite TotalEnergies’s repeated attempts to prove otherwise.

This is a major breakthrough: the courts have recognised that victims of climate change can bring a legal action in their own country, regardless of where the big polluters responsible for this – such as TotalEnergies – are based.

On the merits of the case, the court has decided to postpone its ruling, therefore pausing its proceedings. It is awaiting the first-instance decision in the ongoing TotalEnergies climate trial in Paris, scheduled for 25 June 2026.

Spain

The Spanish supreme court rejected the local authorities’ appeal on our landmark case against industrial livestock pollution The residents, whose life has been made unbearable for years, can finally get justice. The court decided it would not reopen the case. The judgment is now final, and leaves no doubt: authorities must protect citizens’ fundamental rights – and should be held accountable. It’s a game-changer for communities across Europe. Read more

Greece

Big win in Greece! Sean was arrested on Lesbos in 2018 for volunteering to help refugees. After seven years of waiting, Sean and the other activists were finally found not guilty in January. Listen his story

France

• From the French branch of Stay Grounded, the Paris appeal court just ruled against punishing the 7 activists who entered the Roissy airport tarmac in October 2020. They had already been found non-guilty in 2021, but the airport decided to appeal Read more

• Acquittal for anti-advertising action

The trend of positive decisions from French courts continues. In Angers this month three members of XR were acquitted following a closely fought trial. The activists stated they had removed ads from bus stops and banned them, but the judge found their freedom of expression was more important than the offence committed. As in other acquittals, he was favourably impressed by how organised the action was, and satisfied that it was a political act and not “random vandalism” (which the French judiciary is less keen on). A full illustrated account of the trial is available here.

• Harsh sentence for XR action in support of Palestine

Back in March 2025 members of XR in the Paris region poured paint on the pavement outside a building hosting an event promoting Israeli real estate, including land grabbed illegally from Palestinians. In theory such a minor offence should have resulted in a fine and cannot justify any time in custody, but the activists were held for almost three days.

Following their trial in January much harsher sentences were handed down than for environmentalist actions; 1000 euros suspended fines and 4 months jail time (also suspended). Contact for more info : [email protected]

• Illegal use of facial recognition software by French police

Since 2022 French police forces have been taking pictures of individuals and using facial recognition software to identify them immediately – which is not permitted by French law. Reports by the main police watchdog dating back from 2023 document this abuse of power, but until revelations by independent media Disclose little was now about this topic (although it was suspected that this was going on). There has not been much outrage or coverage, and it seems likely that authorities will respond by making what was illegal legal. More on Disclose’s website

Russia

Daria Kozyreva was given a sentence of two years and eight months for speaking out against the war in a peaceful way. She has now finished her sentence and been let go. Read more

UK

The rapper Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh (Mo Chara), will not be charged with terrorism. The High Court in London has confirmed that the case against him will be dropped. Read more

SOLIDARITY AND CROWDFUNDING 

• Sign the ‘MY HEALTH AND NATURE ARE NOT UP FOR SALE’ petition against the absurdity of dismantling laws that safeguard our clean drinking water, safe food, fresh air, and healthy nature. Link
• Extinction Rebellion Netherlands Legal Team is seeking your input for a legal initiative on police accountability. With support from their lawyers, they are examining whether the absence of visible police identification, such as name tags or identification numbers, hinders the effective handling of complaints about police violence. They believe this is a shared issue across movements and countries, and hope this effort can contribute to positive change in the Netherlands and set a wider European precedent. Following this fact-finding phase, they will consider whether we can successfully initiate legal action to improve the situation. 

Therefore, they would like to hear from you:

• Do law enforcement officers in your country wear visible personal identification during demonstrations and other large gatherings?
• If so, we would love to see pictures, and a summary of the relevant legislation, rules and guidelines in your country.
•  If officers do not wear visible identification, does this hinder complaint handling? Does it result in more police violence? Any relevant case law or literature on this subject is very welcome.

Please send your responses to [email protected] before 15 April 2026, and let them know to what extent they should treat your input as confidential.

RESOURCES & EVENTS

• New report by CASE: This Legal Ethics Report examines how Europe’s legal profession and court systems should prevent lawyers from enabling such abuse and how institutions should respond when it occurs. Read it here
• The ClientEarth Summit 2026: law and justice for a better future

📅 24 to 26 March 2026 | 🌍 Free global virtual summit

The ClientEarth Summit returns in 2026 for three days of thought-provoking conversations on the role the law plays in shaping our future – and how people worldwide are using it to decide how the coming years will look. Register

• Webinar: Debanking – What consequences do we draw from the debanking attempts against Rote Hilfe eV? (In German) At the end of December, the Sparkasse and GLS Bank terminated the accounts of Rote Hilfe (Red Aid). Although Rote Hilfe has since reopened accounts with both banks, this step clearly demonstrates how threatening so-called debanking can be for organizations and individuals. Together with Lukas Theune and Achim Tiffe, we will discuss the legal background in our webinar. When can banks close accounts? And how can you defend yourself against this?Date: April 15, 2026 Time: 5:30 PM – register here.
• Two PHD positions on “Legal Governmentality – governing climate activism through criminal law and human rights in Europe” at the The Department of Social Anthropology and Cultural Studies of the University of Bern  (Switzerland) – Read more here

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.