Press Releases & Updates 2006

Among the 14 people whose cases will be directly affected by the hearing are the “Fairford Five”, who seek to know what arguments they will be allowed to use in their defence. Trident Ploughshares pledgers Paul Milling and Margaret Jones, along with Phillip Pritchard, Toby Olditch and Josh Richards, are charged with conspiracy and criminal damage, following their action in March 2003 to prevent or delay the take-off of American B-52 bombers from Fairford air force base in Gloucestershire.

These bombers were waiting to launch the attack on Iraq that would begin the Iraq war. In the case of Milling and Jones, the action involved disabling a fleet of bomb carriers and other support vehicles used to supply the B-52 bombers. All five say they were justified in their actions, because they aimed at preventing the commission of a far greater crime - that of ’aggression’, of starting an unprovoked war against another country.

Lower courts have so far denied them this defence argument, saying that the alleged crime of attacking another country is a matter for international law, which cannot be ruled on in a British court.

A Trident Ploughshares spokesperson said: “We hope that the Law Lords will have the courage to unblock the route to the fair trial which would inevitably acquit them. We look forward to the day when it is the war criminals of Whitehall who are in the dock.”

The Fairford Five will stand trial at Bristol Crown Court later this year.

The week-long hearing before the Law Lords is expected to take place before a panel comprising. Lord Hoffman, Lord Rodger, Lord Carswell, Lord Mance, and Lord Bingham of Cornhill.

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