Wild Justice is launched today. It is a not-for-profit company set up by Chris Packham, Ruth Tingay and me.
More on what we are going to do through the day, but here is our (first ever) press release:
[registration_form]Wild Justice, a not-for-profit company set up by; TV presenter, photographer and wildlife campaigner Chris Packham CBE; author, blogger and campaigner Dr Mark Avery; and blogger, researcher and wildlife campaigner Dr Ruth Tingay is launched today (Wednesday 13 February).
Wild Justice exists to take legal cases on behalf of wildlife against public bodies where they are failing to protect species and/or habitats.
Wild Justice is working with legal teams in England and Scotland. Legal action will be funded by public donations and crowdfunding appeals.
Chris Packham said ‘Wild. Justice. Because the wild needs justice more than ever before. The pressures wrought upon our wildlife have reached a crisis point and this is an essential response. The message is clear . . . if you are breaking the law, if the law is weak, if the law is flawed – we are coming for you. Peacefully, democratically and legally. Our simple premise is to work with the laws we’ve got to seek real justice for our wildlife, to reform, refine or renew those laws we have to ensure that justice can be properly realised. Our wildlife has been abused, has been suffering, exploited or destroyed by criminals for too long. Well, no longer. Wild Justice will at last be the voice of those victims and it will be heard . . . and justice will be served. ‘.Mark Avery said ‘Wild Justice will take on public bodies to get a better deal for wildlife. It’s a shame that we have to do this but we have little confidence that statutory bodies are fulfilling their functions properly. We aim to hold their feet to the fire in court. I’m reminded of what the great American environmental campaigner, Ansel Adams said ‘It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment’.’.
Ruth Tingay said ‘I know many people who despair about what’s happening to our wildlife but who also feel powerless to help, typically because access to justice can be prohibitively expensive and a daunting arena. Wild Justice provides an opportunity for ordinary citizens to fight back on behalf of wildlife, collectively helping us to challenge poor decisions or flawed policies that threaten to harm our wildlife. With so many potential cases, the difficulty for us will be to decide which ones to take on first’.
http://wildjustice.org.uk/
Good luck with this new venture!
John – thanks!
Thank you to you all. You truly are a remarkable group of people.
Lizzybusy – we’re not that remarkable (well, maybe Chris is, and Ruth can be on a good day) but we are determined, and we are working together. And we can only do anything with the support of many others so thank you (all!).
Tremendous respect to all three of you for setting this up !! Although it’s appalling that there is such a need for you to do so. Is the Government ever going to decide to take its head out of the sand and start taking its wildlife responsibilities seriously… They should be contributing to your legal action funding!!
Janet – many thanks for your support.
We’ll done, at last there is a faint glimmer of light at the end of a very long, dark and dirty tunnel.
Paul – thank you!
This is great news. Hats off to the three of you. I assume Wild Justice will operate within the UK only to start with but once you get “your feet under the table” and this wretched farce of Brexit is out the way it might be worth exploring how, with partners in Europe it can be extended to include Europe as well. Many of our wild birds that migrate to this country are illegally persecuted / shot elsewhere in Europe on there way to and from the UK.
Alan – thanks! Much to do, much to do.
This is good news. The long campaign against the illegal killing and abuse of endangered species by shooting interests has been frustrated at every opportunity by the County conspiracy. Mark’s twitter information this morning, regarding the PIR on satellite tagging nformation, will not please the grouse shooting industry.
David – thank you very much.
Well done Mark, I guessed you were up to something from your previous subtle hints here. Excellent news giving teeth to the voice for justice against wildlife crime. I, and I am sure many others, will be happy to support legal efforts in forcing statutory bodies to act according to their obligations for protecting our natural heritage. It is however sad we have to result to these necessary measures. Let’s hope ‘Wild Justice’ will be the focal point for us all, where we can all contribute to the just cause of legal oversight protecting nature.
Peter – many thanks!
This is excellent news.
It can, and will, succeed, and is an wonderful endeavour.
Alex – thanks!
Thank you. What a shame that you need to do this when NE and so many NGOs exist but do not work because of compromise and adverse political interference.
Barry – we do need the statutory sector to step up for nature. We look forward to working with our many friends in the NGO world. But maybe Wild Justice can do things that others can’t. Thanks for your support.
“But maybe Wild Justice can do things that others can’t.”
I’m sure that this is the point of Wild Justice. The charities/NGOs are so keen to maintain their place at table that they do not warn their membership of dangers such as that of the present proposals for a statutory body to be in charge of the Environment Act. Just as the RSPB found it necessary to ask for a judicial review into the actions of Natural England, which has yet to reveal it’s findings, but the RSPB could yet regret that decision. Wild Justice would be well placed to do the regulation a statutory body is unwilling to do. Today is a time to rejoice the existence of Wild Justice, but it is a sad day for UK (other governments are available) legislation.
Well done all. Great move! Surely you don’t need crowdfunding though Mark with all that money you are making writing books 😉
Stephen – thank you! Made me smile.
Good news and thanks to the three of you for doing this. Creating a vehicle for the rest of us to help in the battle in a meaningful way will surely be a great step forward. I presume that Wild. Justice. will be taking future cases rather than Mark Avery. I think that is a good thing for several reasons.
As for the need for Wild. Justice. its need is disappointing but the creation of ‘new’ third sector bodies seems to be an organic progression in many ‘political’ fields, not restricted to nature conservation as the established groups suffer their own form of ‘regulator capture’.
Great stuff though, and deserving of our support when needed. (even if donating money to fight decisions paid for entirely through our taxes sticks in the craw).
Thanks again, to the three of you.
Bimbling – thank you!
Great news for England and Scotland! What about Wales?
Ally – we hope to be great news for Wales too.
Good luck with this venture. A very worthy cause, and will support you wherever possible !
John – many thanks for your support.
Well done guys, it’s about time somebody stood up for our beleaguered wildlife.
Martin – many thanks for your support.
Great news – and thanks to you all for a much-needed initiative.
Our group wholly supports your endeavours and wishes you well.
Marian – many thanks
Proud to be involved, proud to support you!
In being brave and fleet of foot I’m sure Wild Justice will achieve great things. Sometimes that will be because the Courts agree with you, but not always. However, legal action doesn’t always need to succeed to bring about change (although obviously it helps!). The Judicial Review challenging the East London River Crossing through Oxleas Wood was unsuccessful but the campaign around it, and 10,000 Londoners pledging to beat the bulldozers, stopped the road going ahead. Most successes are achieved through multiple means and in partnership with others but mostly it’s about people. If the courts can help to galvanise that support, that’s fantastic.
It has been amazing to see how quickly Mark and Ruth’s JRs on the Hen Harrier, Walshaw Moor and Ravens were crowd funded. Most JRs concern the wider issues of infrastructure, air pollution and climate change but these cases show the enormous body of support for cases to protect wildlife. It’s time to get busy.
Good luck!
Great News, Mark, made my day! A little bit of cash sent, for my grandchild’s sake, and even her grandchildren! We are the generation that knows what is wrong with our wildlife, and can prove it, and knows how to start fixing it.
With so many people asking for our money these days, at long last, we have somebody who we can trust to use our money wisely. What wonderful news and thankyou to all three of you.
First donation already made.
This is fantastic. I wish you all well in this venture. Wildlife needs all the assistance it can against the disrespect and devastation caused to it.
Great stuff Mark….there had been hints and rumours, fantastic initiative legal challenges definitely, inevitably the way forward. Do feel angry though that private individuals are having to do the work others are paid to yet again. Very pleased and grateful all three of you are doing this, but seems very unfair you have to. Absolutely love your ‘logo’ it’s one of the very best I’ve ever seen. Cheers and thanks!
Les – thak you. I will pass on your comments to our logo designer.
Bravo to you all. Good luck with this excellent and honourable venture.
Leri – many thanks
Well done you three. One of the many good things about this is that its very existence will make a difference. Those who have become sloppy (to put it no higher) about their statutory duties will now have to pause before trying to slide round the law hoping no-one will notice. As will those who through too-cosy deals have thought they could ignore it.
There is a long way to go but this is an important and powerful addition to the armoury; though we can perhaps hope that in the medium term its success will mean that it does not need to be used often.
Alan – thank you. We agree that there has to be a rock and a hard place, or the possibility of them, and we will try to be one of those.
Very good news – just caught up with the launch earlier today. Many congratulations. Right with you there supporting this. Now to chip in and do my bit. Thank you Mark, Chris and Ruth.
Joyce – thank you!
This is a brilliant initiative – created by three wonderful people. I’ll be watching its progress and be ready to give my support.
I wish it well !
Chris – that’s kind of you, thank you.
So many have lost their way and forgotten their responsibilities but you three power through them!
All aboard Wild Justice and full steam ahead!
Owen – let’s see how it goes. But if we do, it is only because we have an army of supporters, like you, behind, alongside, and sometimes in front of us!
Good work and reason for us all to be hopeful of progress. The Government should feel ashamed.
Peter – I doubt that they do…
Excellent! Much needed to keep government and statutory bodies on their toes. I look forward to seeing what you will take on next.
greenfly – we will soon (maybe 3 weeks) be in a position to tell you.
Fabulous news, well done all three of you. You can count on our support.
Sue and Chris – thank you!
Just chiming in with thanks. marvellous news. About time environmental laws were treated like real laws and environmental crimes were punished by more than pocket money fines.
jbc – many thanks! We’ll see what we can do.
Yay! Thank you thank you! It makes me cry what is going on to our beautiful wildlife by blatant law breakers. A post has jyst gone up that a hunt has just started 2 miles away from me. I am at work but hope to god the sabs get there in time to dave the fox. I can’t bear to see another photo of a dead bloodied an8mal in a vile huntsman hands. Anything I can do……I’m there. Suzanne
Suzanne – thank you!
This is just what we need….things may not be hopeless after all. And what a brilliant idea. Best of luck !
Jackie – thank you – though we can’t do everything!
Wonderful news,I can hear the cheers across our land. I want the T.shirt and when do we get the movie .Hats off to you and thank you for all you do.
Ros – thank you.
A brilliant logo design for a cutting edge idea. I will be contributing to the war chest with pleasure.
Sandra – thank you.
I like practical initiatives – this one will make a huge difference. Well done to all 3 of you.
I have contributed a few quid in in the knowledge that it will make a difference.
I know you will spend our money wisely and you will bring accountability to the various NGO decision makers, some of whom are failing in their duty to our wildlife.
Mike – many thanks!
This is a Great initiative,I applaud you Mark,Chris ,Ruth and everyone .We are with you Every Step Of The Way .
Good luck to the three of you. It’s more than about time that there was an organisation that provided a voice for our persecuted wildlife. This Will make a huge difference to those poor creatures and give them the protection that they need.
Thank you Mark, Chris and Ruth, this news has made my day and I hope will give more people the courage to join forces to tackle what is the unacceptable and relentless disrespect shown to our wildlife. I was very happy to donate to the SNH/Raven cull judicial review last year and will be very happy indeed to do so again. This initiative has my full support, I will spread the word as far as I can and follow your work. A shining light in the darkness!
Nice one you three. Happy to contribute when the whistle blows.
Great initiative….donation already made and I hope others do likewise straightaway to give this a strong start financially.
Please keep us informed about how much is coming in if you will Mark…
Nick
Fantastic stuff Mark, Chris and Ruth. It just shows how bad things have got where there’s a need to create an organization like this.
Thank you guys so much for taking this initiative for all of us, opening the door for our voices to be heard to. i will donate now ..Thanks again !
Excellent! But: “legal teams in England and Scotland” What about Wales? We have good and very different environmental legislation in Wales but public bodies are failing wildlife here as well.
Chris – we have already done things, as individuals, in England and Scotland so we have the contacts already. So we have talked to lawyers in England and Scotland. There are only three of us and we aren’t full-time staff. Our first potential case would have ramifications in all countries of UK if it goes ahead. We’d love to work in Wales too.
I love you Guys – thankyou so very very much… I’m in. Time for a change…
Thank goodness for people like you, good luck with all your efforts IL be sharing away to anyone who will listen xxxxx