A court date has now been confirmed for the 2nd Lyng trial. The 28 defendants are charged with Criminal Damage after being cleared of theft at the first hearing. The trial will start on September 4th and is expected to last for 2 weeks.
Background
Following the original trial The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had announced that it would seek the retrial of 28 Greenpeace volunteers charged with criminal damage in relation to a Greenpeace action at Lyng, Norfolk, on 26th July, 1999, where part of an experimental crop of genetically modified (GM) maize was cut down and sealed in bags in order to prevent genetic contamination of the environment.
An original trial in Norwich Crown Court, which lasted from 3 rd to 19 th April, had acquitted the volunteers on a charge of theft but failed to reach a verdict on a charge of criminal damage.
Speaking immediately after the CPS announcement, Peter Melchett, Executive Director of Greenpeace, said: "We will defend ourselves with the same passion and vigour as we did in our first trial. We have always been willing to let a jury determine the outcome of these proceedings and we still are. The Greenpeace volunteers were rightly acting to protect property and the environment when they cut down and bagged the crop of GM maize and we will seek to convince the new jury on this point."
While the Greenpeace 28 stood trial in Norwich on the first occasion, GM technology continued to retreat in the face of popular opposition. During the trial period:
- A fourth farm withdrew from the Government's GM trials programme in Tittleshall, Norfolk
- The Church of England Ethical Investment Advisory Group recommended on 5 th April that Church of England land should not be used for the Government's GM trials
- On 13 th April Austria banned T25 GM maize the same maize that was cut down and bagged by the Greenpeace volunteers
- Over a thousand GM-free zones were declared in Norfolk ranging from cottage gardens to large commercial farms
Further information:
Contact:
Greenpeace press office on: 020 7865 8255
