Up to nine members of the environmental campaign group Insulate Britain who blocked nearby parts of the M25, including the Chorleywood junction, could be set to face unlimited fines and even jail time.
Nine applications have been made by road authority National Highways to the High Court for contempt of court charges to be handed to the M25 activists.
A further 23 protesters who have defied injunctions across the country also face court summons for the same charge.
Meanwhile, the governmental body have also successfully applied for an injunction barring the group from obstructing traffic and accessing many of the country’s motorways and A-roads.
Three other injunctions apply bans to major roads surrounding London, the M25 and the Port of Dover.
Insulate Britain have sparked widespread condemnation and controversy from the public and government figures over the last few months, with roads blocked over fifteen times since mid-September.
The group, which is campaigning for all homes in the UK to be insulated by 2030, face nine of its supporters attending a hearing without jury if they choose to contest the application.
One of the activists, Theresa Norton, a 62-year-old councillor from Scarborough, said:
“I don’t do this lightly. But, like the nine who face court and a potential prison sentence, I have to stand up to government bullying; to overcome the fear they instil through threats and intimidating legal bureaucracy.
“They would rather silence us, than protect the public from climate collapse. If we are ever to achieve our climate commitments, we need to start insulating homes now.
“I will continue being a part of this campaign and risk being imprisoned or losing my home until our government accepts that it must get on with the job.”
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