Press Release Womenwith Hill Women's Peace Camp, Outside Menwith Hill Spy Base, Kettlesing Head Lay-by, A59 Nr. Harrogate, North Yorkshire. HG3 2LP 14th July 1999

(Judgment is expected to be given for the Plaintiff: Mr. Justice Hooper will grant North Yorkshire County Council Highways Authority a re-possession order for its land, presently occupied by the Women's Peace Camp and will order eviction of the camp).

On the grounds that the Women's Peace Camp at Menwith Hill constituted a danger to the public principally that it is a distraction to motorists using the A59 highway, and being an obstruction in that it is occupying land belonging to the Highways Authority) the Legal Department of the N.Y.C.C. commenced proceedings to recover its land and prevent the establishment of any other peace camps by the women peace protesters on November 26th 1997.

On June 22nd 1998, at the High Court in Leeds, Mr justice Hooper found the camp to be unlawful and injuncted three women, Anne Lee, Helen John and Jenny Gaiawyn not to reside overnight on the site, nor in the vicinity of Menwith Hill.

The Highways Authority went back to the High Court on October 29th 1998 to seek a Possession Order for the land in the lay-by at Kettlesing Head. The hearing was adjourned to allow for consideration of new Human Rights legislation to be taken into consideration. The judge ordered that the camp site be cleared of all but one token caravan. The women complied with the High Court Order & removed nine caravans & all equipment from the site on November 27th 1998.

At the hearing on February 4th/5th 1999, as a result of cross-examination of N.Y.C.C. Highways Authority officials, it became evident that the N.Y.C.C. had withheld documentary evidence of its relations with Menwith Hill Station from the defendants. Mr Justice Hooper ordered discovery of all relevant correspondence between the officials of the N.Y.C.C. and Menwith Hill Station Authorities. The hearing was adjourned to allow the defendants to make written submissions following the disclosures. Subsequently the N.Y.C.C. made limited discovery of 66 (sixty-six) documents.

The documents reveal that the eviction of the Women's Peace Camp was decided bv the Menwith Hill Station authorities.

Squadron Leader E.C. (Ted) Sumner, RAF, acting as Liaison Officer for the US National Security Agency met with Mr M. (Mike) Masterman form the N.Y.C.C. Environmental Management Department (of which the Highways Authority is part) on September 23rd 1996. Proceedings to eradicate the Women's protest were initiated at that meeting.

Despite these revelations that a foriegn Government can exploit our democratic state machinery to suppress protest, Mr Justice Hooper cannot overturn his judgment that the camp is unlawful, only the Court of Appeal may do that. The women expressed their determination to take the case to appeal, to the European Court of Human Rights if necessary.

The women maintain that their right to protest in the way they choose, by living outside the base, is enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights (embodied in The Human Rights Act 1998) and by recent legal precedents.