AN ACTIVIST facing a prison sentence has condemned his trial as a “shambles” after the judge barred protesters from mounting a defence that they were opposing climate change.

Daniel Hall was one of three activists from Just Stop Oil found guilty at Southwark Crown Court on May 15 after they were tried for staging a 20-minute protest march along Cromwell Road in London. The rally was to demand the government end all licences and consents for new oil, gas, and coal projects.

The trial was the first prosecution under Section 7 of the Public Order Act 2023, relating to actions “which prevent or significantly delay the operation of key infrastructure, including airports, railways, printing presses and oil and gas infrastructure.”

Along with Phoebe Plummer and Chiara Sarti, Mr Hall is awaiting sentence and says he and his co-defendants are likely to be sent to prison.

He told the Morning Star: “The trial was a total shambles.”

“[The judge] had decided he was going to remove our legal defences before he had even heard the prosecution’s case, and we were gagged to keep us from talking about the climate.

“All of this was done to increase the likelihood of a guilty verdict.”

Facing the prospect of prison Mr Hall said: “As a father with a young family – with two children aged six and nine – I am very concerned about this and the impact it might have on my children.

“I believe that the fact that they are prepared to send a young father to prison for marching down a road for 20 minutes really exposes the violence in the current system.”