Valero Energy Ltd & Ors v Persons Unknown & Ors
| Judge | Mr Justice Ritchie |
| Neutral Citation | [2024] EWHC 134 (KB) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Court | King's Bench Division |
| Counsel | Katharine Holland Kc,Yaaser Vanderman |
| Date | 26 January 2024 |
Neutral Citation Number: [2024] EWHC 134 (KB)
Claim no: QB-2022-000904
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE
KING'S BENCH DIVISION
THE ROYAL COURTS OF JUSTICE
Date: 26th
January 2024
Before:
MR JUSTICE RITCHIE
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BETWEEN
(1)VALERO ENERGY LTD
(2)VALERO LOGISTICS UK LTD
(3)VALERO PEMBROKESHIRE OIL TERMINAL LTD
Claimants
-and-
(1) PERSONS UNKNOWN WHO,
IN CONNECTION WITH ENVIRONMENTAL PROTESTS
BY THE ‘JUST STOP OIL’ OR ‘EXTINCTION
REBELLION’ OR ‘INSULATE BRITAIN’ OR ‘YOUTH
CLIMATE SWARM’ (ALSO KNOWN AS YOUTH
SWARM) MOVEMENTS ENTER OR REMAIN WITHOUT
THE CONSENT OF THE FIRST CLAIMANT UPON ANY
OF THE 8 SITES (defined below)
(2) PERSONS UNKNOWN WHO,
IN CONNECTION WITH ENVIRONMENTAL PROTESTS
BY THE ‘JUST STOP OIL’ OR ‘EXTINCTION
REBELLION’ OR ‘INSULATE BRITAIN’ OR ‘YOUTH
CLIMATE SWARM’ (ALSO KNOWN AS YOUTH
SWARM) MOVEMENTS CAUSE BLOCKADES,
OBSTRUCTIONS OF TRAFFIC AND INTERFERE WITH
THE PASSAGE BY THE CLAIMANTS AND THEIR
AGENTS, SERVANTS, EMPLOYEES, LICENSEES,
INVITEES WITH OR WITHOUT VEHICLES AND
EQUIPMENT TO, FROM,
OVER AND ACROSS THE ROADS IN THE VICINITY OF
THE 8 SITES (defined below)
(3) MRS ALICE BRENCHER AND 16 OTHERS
Defendants
Katharine Holland KC and Yaaser Vanderman
(instructed by CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP) for the Claimant.
The Defendants did not appear.
Hearing date: 17th January 2024
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Approved Judgment
This judgment was handed down remotely at 14.00pm on Friday 26th January 2024 by
circulation to the parties or their representatives by e-mail and by release to the National
Archives.
Approved Judgment:Valero Energy Ltd & ORS v Persons Unknown & ORS
Mr Justice Ritchie:
The Parties
1. The Claimants are three companies who are part of a large petrochemical group called
the Valero Group and own or have a right to possession of the 8 Sites defined out
below.
2. The “4 Organisations” relevant to this judgment are:
2.1Just Stop Oil.
2.2Extinction Rebellion.
2.3Insulate Britain.
2.4Youth Climate Swarm.
I have been provided with a little information about the persons who set up and run
some of these 4 Organisations. They appear to be crowdfunded partly by donations. A
man called Richard Hallam appears to be a co-founder of 3 of them.
3. The Defendants are firstly, persons unknown (PUs) connected with 4 Organisations
who trespass or stay on the 8 Sites defined below. Secondly, they are PUs who block
access to the 8 Sites defined below or otherwise interfere with the access to the 8 Sites
by the Claimants, their servants, agents, licensees or invitees. Thirdly, they are named
persons who have been involved in suspected tortious behaviour or whom the
Claimants fear will be involved in tortious behaviour at the 8 Sites and the relevant
access roads.
The 8 Sites
4. The “8 Sites” are:
4.1the first Claimant’s Pembroke oil refinery, Angle, Pembroke SA71 5SJ
(shown outlined red on plan A in Schedule 1 to the Order made by Bourne J
on 28.7.2023);
4.2the first Claimant’s Pembroke oil refinery jetties at Angle, Pembroke SA71
5SJ (as shown outlined red on plan B in Schedule 1 to the Order made by
Bourne J on 28.7.2023);
4.3the second Claimant’s Manchester oil terminal at Churchill Way, Trafford
P ark, Manchester M17 1BS (shown outlined red on plan C in Schedule 1 to
the Order made by Bourne J on 28.7.2023);
4.4the second Claimant’s Kingsbury oil terminal at plot B, Trinity Road,
Kingsbury, Tamworth B78 2EJ (shown outlined red on plan D in Schedule 1
to the Order made by Bourne J on 28.7.2023);
4.5the second Claimant’s Plymouth oil terminal at Oakfield Terrace Road,
Cattedown, Plymouth PL4 0RY (shown outlined red on plan E in Schedule 1
to the Order made by Bourne J on 28.7.2023);
4.6the second Claimant’s Cardiff oil terminal at Roath Dock, Rover Way, Cardiff
CF10 4US (shown outlined red on plan F in Schedule 1 to the Order made by
Bourne J on 28.7.2023);
3
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