Monsanto Loses UK Court Hearing, Faces High-Profile Trial
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Full hearing on GM hazards
Excerpts from The Guardian (UK)
By Paul Brown,
Environment Correspondent
Wednesday April 21, 1999
Monsanto, the giant US biotech company, failed in the High
Court yesterday to silence campaigners who pulled up the company's
genetically modified plants, and now faces a high-profile trial in which
the defendants will claim they were acting lawfully to protect society
against the dangers posed by GM crops.
The company had asked for a permanent and sweeping injunction banning six
named defendants and anyone associated with their organisation, GenetiX
Snowball, from interfering with any of their crops again. This would have
effectively prevented them explaining in court why they dug up the crops.
Mr Justice Klavan continued the existing temporary injunction but said the
issue had to go to full trial because the defendants had an arguable case
that they were acting in the public interest.
The defendants cheered the decision as the judge left the court. They will
now be able to call scientists and other expert witnesses to explain why
they believe they were justified in breaking the law for the greater good
of society effectively putting genetically modified crops and Monsanto on
trial.