Water companies that dump raw sewage into Britain’s waterways can now be sued for damages and held accountable, following a landmark Supreme Court ruling.
Judges found that a private company that own canals, rivers or lakes can take legal action against any business that pollutes its water with untreated sewage.
Manchester Canal Company has been in a legal battle since 2018 with United Utilities about the latter’s ability to pump raw sewage into the canal without the permission of the owner.
Is any of Scotland’s water privately owned? Wales’s? Because it would be so much fun to gin up some prosecutions there, no?
As Guido keeps point out, there’s going to be even more attacks on business once Labour sets to work:
https://order-order.com/2024/06/24/british-business-fears-massive-class-action-law-suits-under-attorney-general-thornberry/
Judges find, controversially, that someone whose property is damaged by the actions of others can demand damages?
Where has (in this parish) much-vaunted English common law been the last 2000+ years?
I’ll just note that back in the 70s the Manchester Ship Canal was generally referred to as the Manchester Shit Canal because of the state of the water. 50 years later the environmental Kuznets Curve is in play.
Further to BiND and Guido’s comments.
Starmer – a lawyer – reckons he can lock in a permanent “progressive” regime by using the courts.
He appears not to have considered the prospect or likelihood that the courts’ delays will simply gum up all the legislation, and nothing will get done.
So much for the growth he wants. So much for housebuilding on the green belt. His flagship policy of VAT on private schools will probably get thrown out by the ECHR.
BiG, the problem is not so much the common law but the funding of the remedies. How keen are the people who complain about sewage dumping to pay the consequential charges for the investment required to prevent it? Revealed preferences etc
Whilst I am against discharging raw sewage into a waterway I do have sympathy. Anyone considering protesting should first be put in the position of having a million gallons of raw sewage coming their way. If they can magic it away then they should be entitled to complain, but if they can’t, they should get it. One million gallons of it.
Further to BiND and Guido’s comments.
Starmer – a lawyer – reckons he can lock in a permanent “progressive” regime by using the courts.
What happens when a future regime tells its robed enemies”nice court ruling, how do you plan to enforce it?”
Oh shit, it turns out that “laws” were just words all along.
“His flagship policy of VAT on private schools will probably get thrown out by the ECHR.”
I don’t understand this. Isn’t the ECHR an EU institution? How could it veto UK laws?
No, it’s Council of Europe, which we’re still in.