Wild Justice to foot NRW's legal costs

Chris Packham and Mark Avery's group, Wild Justice, has been ordered to pay Natural Resources Wales (NRW) £10,000 in legal costs, following their recent loss in the High Court.

Last week, the court ruled that NRW's General Licences to control wild birds were lawful, following a legal challenge by the group.

The legal costs of £10,0000, which were claimed by the lawyers representing NRW, is the most available under the Aarhus Convention which sets a cap on environmental cases.

Adrian Blackmore, the Alliance's Director of Shooting said: 'The High Court's ruling earlier this month that the General Licences issued by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) to control wild birds were lawful is a resounding success for the rural community, and one that has been welcomed by those responsible for managing the countryside. So too is the news that Wild Justice has now been ordered to pay £10,000 legal costs to NRW following their loss in the High Court.

He added: 'Sadly, the £10,000 is a fraction of what it will have cost to successfully challenge Wild Justice's legal challenge; money that, had it not been for Wild Justice, could have been far better spent at a time of unprecedented national hardship, with the coronavirus pandemic impacting on the lives and livelihoods of so many'.