Roger Hallam sentence and UK Public Order Act protests
- The record does not name which of my species, waters, soils or forests were harmed.
Roger Hallam was sentenced in July 2024 to five years in prison in the M25 conspiracy case, at the time the longest UK sentence for non-violent protest. The Court of Appeal cut it to four years in March 2025.
As recorded; not an estimate.
Status As of October 2025: Court of Appeal reduced Hallam's sentence to four years (March 2025); Supreme Court refused permission to appeal (8 October 2025).
- Roger Hallam and co-defendants — Prison terms of 5 years (Hallam, cut to 4 on appeal) and 4 years (co-defendants, cut to 3 years or 30 months) Climate Case Chart
What happened
The Public Order Act 2023 introduced new offences and penalties for protest in the United Kingdom.
Roger Hallam was sentenced in July 2024 to five years in prison in what was described as the M25 conspiracy case. At the time it was the longest UK sentence for non-violent protest.
On 7 March 2025 the Court of Appeal (R v Hallam & Ors [2025] EWCA Crim 199) reduced Hallam's term to four years. Co-defendants' terms were cut from four years to three years or 30 months. Six of 16 appeals succeeded.
The Supreme Court refused permission to appeal on 8 October 2025. Just Stop Oil said in March 2025 that it had counted 3,300 arrests and 180 imprisonments among its participants, and that it would end direct action in April 2025.
- 2023Public Order Act 2023 creates new offences and penalties for protest
- 2024July: Roger Hallam sentenced to 5 years in the M25 conspiracy case
- 2025March: Court of Appeal cuts Hallam's term to 4 years (7 March); Just Stop Oil reports 3,300 arrests and 180 imprisonments and says it will end direct action in April
- 20258 October: Supreme Court refuses permission to appeal
What was said
Where accounts differ
Each party's account, side by side, with its source. The record does not settle these points; it shows them.
Reduced Hallam's term from 5 to 4 years and co-defendants' terms from 4 to 3 years or 30 months; 6 of 16 appeals succeeded.
Climate Case ChartReported as saying that imprisonment for peaceful protest in England was almost unheard of since the 1930s (paraphrase; original wording not available).
Reported its own count of 3,300 arrests and 180 imprisonments.
EuronewsHow it looked
Shown
Recorded
- Hallam sentenced in July 2024 to 5 years; the longest UK sentence for non-violent protest at the time.
- Court of Appeal, 7 March 2025: Hallam's term cut to 4 years; co-defendants cut from 4 years to 3 years or 30 months; 6 of 16 appeals succeeded.
- Supreme Court refused permission to appeal, 8 October 2025.
- Just Stop Oil's own figures (March 2025): 3,300 arrests and 180 imprisonments. The organisation said it would end direct action in April 2025.
Who gained
Reached nature or the ground
Gained elsewhere
Responses on record
- just-stop-oil (March 2025): Reported 3,300 arrests and 180 imprisonments (own count, March 2025) and said it would end direct action in April 2025. · Euronews
In court and with insurers
Lawsuits and rulings
- 2025-03-07Reduced on appealR v Hallam & Ors [2025] EWCA Crim 199Court of Appeal (England and Wales) · Criminal · Prosecution (R) → Roger Hallam and co-defendants (Just Stop Oil protest case)
Hallam's five-year sentence (imposed July 2024) was cut to four years. Co-defendants' terms were cut from four years to three years or 30 months. Six of 16 appeals succeeded. The Supreme Court refused permission to appeal on 8 October 2025. Climate Case Chart
Insurers
What we don't know
Nature
- Not measured Harm to nature: The record holds no measurement of harm to nature.
Figures
- Self-reported only Arrests: Just Stop Oil's own count (March 2025); self-reported.
- Self-reported only Imprisonments: Just Stop Oil's own count (March 2025); self-reported.
Accounts
- Disputed Were prison sentences for non-violent protest in England and Wales appropriate?
Record
- Insufficient Just Stop Oil's figures of 3,300 arrests and 180 imprisonments are self-reported and were not independently verified.
Did the harm stop?
Just Stop Oil said it ended direct action in April 2025.
Who paid?
Not stated in the sources reviewed.
Sources
Courts
- R v Hallam & Ors [2025] EWCA Crim 199 (Just Stop Oil protests case) (via Climate Case Chart record)Climate Case Chart · 2025-03-07
Press and investigations
Connected cases
- Just Stop Oil / M25 conspiracy sentences (UK) United Kingdom · 2024–2025
- Just Stop Oil (NGO) — here: Climate protest group; defendants' movement; there: Protest group whose members were arrested and sentenced
- Court of Appeal (England and Wales) (Court) — here: Court that reduced the sentences; there: Reduced the sentences on 7 March 2025