NIS Nuclear Information Service | legal/nuclear weapons

Judicial Review of the government's decision to renew the Trident nuclear weapons system

Dear Friends

Thank you for your support and interest in the NIS case against Trident.

We have now submitted our Appeal Skeleton Argument. The MoD have an opportunity to answer our points, then a High Court judge looks at both papers to assess the chances of a successful Appeal. If s/he refuses an Appeal, we have the right to an oral hearing when our barrister puts our case in the high court. If we are granted an Appeal on the papers alone, work starts to prepare the case in detail.

Judicial Review of Trident – permission for a JR not granted on 10th June 2008

NIS has now lodged an Appeal of the high court's decision not to hear a Judicial Review of Trident Replacement. We seek to establish that the government is not above the law, that it has erred in law and that our case should be adjudicated by the court. NIS is appealing for donations towards the cost of the initial Appeal process and if you are able to help please click the donate button and write JR Fund on your donation (click on 'Add special instructions for the Merchant' on the Paypal checkout page). For more details..

Judicial Review of Trident Replacement

On Tuesday 10th June, Mr. Justice Simon refused the Nuclear Information Service (NIS) permission to bring a Judicial Review of the Government's White Paper, 'The Future of the United Kingdom's Nuclear Deterrent', published on 4 December 2006. Judge Simons did not accept that The White Paper's assertion of compatibility of the Government's decision to replace the UK's nuclear weapons system with its international law obligations requires adjudication by a Court.

High Court to Hear Uranium Case

Bethesda's USEC Argues to Impose Anti-Dumping Duties on French Firm implications not only for the energy industry but also for efforts to dismantle some nuclear weapons.

The Supreme Court said yesterday that it would hear a dispute between USEC http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/related/topic/USEC?tid=informline of Bethesda and a French supplier of low-enriched uranium in a case the federal government said has implications not only for the energy industry but also for efforts to dismantle some nuclear weapons.

Justices agreed to consider in their term that begins next fall whether anti-dumping duties can be imposed on Eurodif, which supplies utilities in the United States with low-enriched uranium, a critical component in the domestic production of nuclear power.

Full Article

NIS Legal Challenge to the UK Government's Trident Replacement

NIS legal challenge to the UK government decision to replace the Trident nuclear weapons system until 2050.

On Tuesday 10th June 2008, the high court will hear the NIS case for challenging the government's plan to renew the Trident nuclear weapons system. Grounds for the claim are that the government failed to carry out a promised Consultation and that building a new nuclear system is contrary to international law and the Non- Proliferation Treaty.

Press Release - Public Interest Lawyers

NIS is bringing a legal challenge against the government's plan to renew the Trident nuclear weapons system. Grounds for the claim are that the government failed to carry out a promised Consultation and that building a new nuclear system is contrary to international law and the Non- Proliferation Treaty. An Application for Judical Review with the High Court was lodged on Friday 30th March 2006. The application may be granted on the submitted papers or an Application Hearing may be called.

Legal Opinion

NIS launches a legal challenge to the government to honour its promise to consult on Trident replacement. In the Legal Opinion provided to Peacerights and NIS by Michael Fordham QC and Naina Patel also include the opinion that the government is wrong in law not to comply with the Non-Proliferation Treaty.