Europa European Communities – Institutions – Obligations – Duty to cooperate with national authorities acting to ensure respect for Community law – Implementation – Disclosure of documents and authorization of officials to give evidence – Legitimate grounds of refusal – Review by the Court The Community institutions’ duty of sincere cooperation with the judicial authorities … Continue reading Criminal Proceedings Against Zwartveld and Others: ECJ 13 Jul 1990
Judges: Rose LJ, Holland J Citations: [2005] EWHC 633 (Admin) Links: Bailii Statutes: Environmental Protection Act 1990 33(1)(a) Jurisdiction: England and Wales Cited by: Cited – Skipaway Ltd v The Environment Agency Admn 5-May-2006 The defendant appealed convictions for breaches of its waste management licence, in that waste had been stored outside the edges of … Continue reading Environment Agency v Armstrong Environmental Services Ltd: Admn 22 Mar 2005
The defendant company did not accept that it had accepted special waste at its disposal plant. Instead they claimed to have the appropriate licence or exemption. Held: The burden of establishing acceptance of special waste was not on the defendant ,on a balance of probabilities, but lay on the prosecution. In effect he was claiming … Continue reading Environment Agency v M E Foley Contractors ltd and Another: QBD 18 Jan 2002
Sympathetic construction of national legislation LMA OVIEDO sought a declaration that the contracts setting up Commercial International were void (a nullity) since they had been drawn up in order to defraud creditors. Commercial International relied on an EC Directive designed to protect companies and third parties from the adverse effects of the doctrine of nullity. … Continue reading Marleasing SA v La Comercial Internacional de Alimentacion SA: ECJ 13 Nov 1990
The validity of certain United Kingdom legislation was challenged on the basis that it contravened provisions of the EEC Treaty by depriving the applicants of their Community rights to fish in European waters, and an interlocutory injunction was sought against the Secretary of State to restrain enforcement of that law pending a reference. The House … Continue reading Regina v Secretary of State for Transport, ex parte Factortame (No 2): HL 11 Oct 1990
The government planned to promote a large scale rail development (HS2), announcing this in a command paper. The main issues, in summary, were, first, whether it should have been preceded by strategic environmental assessment, under the relevant . .
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Sewage had escaped from the company’s facilities. They now sought judicial review of their conviction under the 1990 Act, saying there had been no ‘deposit’ of sewage. Held: The request for review failed: ‘the answer to the question whether the unintended escape of sewage amounted to a ‘deposit’ within s.33(1)(a) of the Act, is not … Continue reading Thames Water Utilities Ltd v Bromley Magistrates’ Court: Admn 20 Mar 2013
Whether escapes of waste water from a public sewerage system are ‘Directive waste’ within the scope of the Waste Framework Directive, and thus subject to the enforcement authority of the Environment Agency under section 33 of the 1990 Act. Judges: Carnwath LJ, Bean J Citations: [2008] EWHC 1763 (Admin) Links: Bailii Statutes: Environmental Protection Act … Continue reading Thames Water Utilities Ltd, Regina (on the Application of) v Bromley Magistrates Court: Admn 28 Jul 2008
The defendant appealed convictions for breaches of its waste management licence, in that waste had been stored outside the edges of the storage bays. The defendant said that the material had not yet been stored, and that it had been deposited by neighbouring farmers and was to be stored properly during the working day. Held: … Continue reading Skipaway Ltd v The Environment Agency: Admn 5 May 2006
The prosecutor appealed against the decision of magistrates to stay a prosecution as an abuse. Held: The decision of a prosecutor to prosecute remains his alone. Where no clear representations had been made that if certain works were carried out a prosecution would not follow, and the works were not carried out, the prosecution was … Continue reading Environment Agency v Stanford: Admn 30 Jun 1998
Knowledge of deposit of controlled waste was necessary to bring the section into application. It was not sufficient simply to be aware of a breach of the licence. Citations: Times 28-Jan-1997, [1997] EWHC Admin 73 Links: Bailii Statutes: Environmental Protection Act 1990 33(1)(a) Environment Updated: 25 May 2022; Ref: scu.137018
Whether escapes of waste water from a public sewerage system are ‘Directive waste’ within the scope of the Waste Framework Directive, and thus subject to the enforcement authority of the Environment Agency under section 33 of the 1990 Act. Held: Sewage which escaped from a public sewer was controlled waste. Judges: Lord Justice Carnwarth and … Continue reading Thames Water Utilities Ltd, Regina (on the Application Of) v Water Services Regulation Authority: QBD 28 Jul 2008
Waste products could become ‘controlled waste’ and subject to licensing procedures without there being a recovery or disposal operation being involved. A rendering process produced a condensate which the company wished to spread on farm land without a licence. The company had argued that no recovery process was involved, and therefore it was not waste … Continue reading Attorney-General’s Reference (No 5 of 2000): CACD 6 Jun 2001
A waste management licence could constitute both property and onerous property for the purposes of the Insolvency Act. It could also be an interest incidental to the land to which it related. Because of this the liquidator of a waste management company could disclaim the licence without committing an offence under the Act. Citations: Times … Continue reading Official Receiver v Environment Agency: CA 5 Aug 1999
A sentence of imprisonment was unnecessarily severe for a first offence of dumping tyres. The case did not involve any hazardous substances, and the offences were at the lower end of the scale, despite the results being unsightly, the risk (at worst) of rats and fire, the absence of any long term effect, the absence … Continue reading Regina v O’Brien; Regina v Enkel: CACD 19 Apr 2000
Not only the actual licensee will be liable for breach of a waste management licence. Agents also can have liability. Citations: Times 10-Apr-1996 Statutes: Environmental Protection Act 1990 33 Jurisdiction: England and Wales Environment Updated: 22 April 2022; Ref: scu.89186
An employee of the appellant had deposited a number of black bags containing commercial office waste on the land adjoining the appellant’s own premises. The prosecutor said that the deposit of the bags of waste in those circumstances amounted to an ‘escape’ within the meaning of section 34(1)(b). Held: The company’s appeal succeeded. The issue … Continue reading Gateway Professional Services (Management) Ltd v Kingston Upon Hull City Council: Admn 8 Mar 2004
Mance J explained the need to construe the statute so as to identify the rule of attribution appropriate to the relevant statutory offence: ‘The rule of attribution appropriate to a particular situation (e.g., the nature and level of conduct or knowledge which will be regarded as satisfying a requirement in a statute that a company … Continue reading Shanks and Mcewan (Southern Waste Services) Ltd v Environment Agency: Admn 14 Oct 1997
The Agency appealed by case stated against the Magistrates’ decision to acquit Thorn of keeping controlled waste contrary to section 33 of the 1990 Act. For that section ‘waste’ had the same meaning as that provided in Art 1(1)(a) of the WFD. The justices found that Wincanton retrieved unwanted electrical goods from retailers who received … Continue reading Environment Agency v Thorn International UK Ltd: Admn 2 Jul 2008
Surplus soil and subsoil from a pipeline excavation was hauled by the appellants to other land where it was tipped. The hauliers were convicted of depositing controlled waste contrary to section 33(1) of the 1990 Act. The complaint was that the judge had misdirected the jury by saying: ‘In law, an intention to pass on … Continue reading Evan Jones and Another, Regina v: CACD 2011
Mr Evans, had demolished a greenhouse at his garden centre. He engaged a haulier, the respondent, to carry the rubble to his other garden centre site to form the base of a car park. The haulier was charged with the unlawful deposit of controlled waste contrary to section 33 of the 1990 Act. The justices … Continue reading Environment Agency v Inglenorth Ltd: Admn 17 Mar 2009
The magistrates had concluded that the movement of waste, previously tipped by others in the entrance to the Respondents’ field, did not amount to a ‘deposit’, within s.33(1)(a) of the 1990 Act. The Council appealed against dismissal of it . .
The applicants sought to challenge the grant of a permit by the defendant to a company to operate a cement works, saying that the environmental impact assessment was inadequate. Held: The Agency had been justified in allowing the application in the form presented. Nor had there been inadeqate disclosure. Everything which was required to be … Continue reading Edwards, Regina (on the application of) v Environment Agency: HL 16 Apr 2008
The company sought judicial review of the deceision by the respondent to issue an abatement notice. It said that under section 79 of the 1990 Act, such a notice fell within the term ‘summary proceedings’ and that therefore the consent of the secretary of State should first have been obtained. Held: The notice did not … Continue reading Ethos Recycling Ltd v Barking and Dagenham Magistrates Court: Admn 13 Nov 2009
The council granted licences for the disposal of waste animal carcasses by incineration. The objectors said the council had failed to take note of art 4 of the directive, and that as clinical waste alternative regimes applied. Held: Animal waste and clinical waste were properly distinguished, and the council had applied the correct guidance. The … Continue reading Regina v Daventry District Council ex parte Thornby Farms: Admn 28 Jul 2000
The parties were involved in a dispute as to repairs on a tenanted property. The court had ordered an independent surveyor’s report. The claimant objected to the use by the defendant of an employee for this purpose, and was involved in their claims investigation department. Held: The judge’s decision to exclude the evidence at an … Continue reading Field and Another v Leeds City Council: CA 8 Dec 1999
The Agency sought to prosecute the respondent for causing the tipping of waste on an unlicensed site. The defendant argued that since he had not actually been driving at the time, he was not responsible. The magistrates dismissed the case, and the Agency appealed by way of case stated. Held: The section did not require … Continue reading Environment Agency v Melland: QBD 11 Apr 2002
Parliament’s Approval if statute rights affected In a referendum, the people had voted to leave the European Union. That would require a notice to the Union under Article 50 TEU. The Secretary of State appealed against an order requiring Parliamentary approval before issuing the notice, he saying that the notice could be given under the … Continue reading Miller and Another, Regina (on The Application of) v Secretary of State for Exiting The European Union: SC 24 Jan 2017
Plannning permission was sought. Objectors said that it would have such an impact that an environmental impact assessment was required. They now sought judicial review of the decision to proceed without one. Held: The judge had explained the approach correctly, and the role of the court is to conduct a Wednesbury review of the decision … Continue reading Jones, Regina (on the Application of) v Mansfield District Council and Another: CA 16 Oct 2003
Application for judicial review of the respondent’s decision to grant a certificate of lawful established use. The applicant submits that the respondent acted unlawfully because the person who made the successful application had been committing criminal offences under section 33(1)(a), (b) and (c) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Judges: Hooper J Citations: [2000] EWHC … Continue reading Regina v Epping Forest District Council, ex parte Philcox (2): Admn 13 Apr 2000
The claimant challenged the grant of planning permission for a new football ground for Fulham Football club, saying that an Environmental Impact Assessment had not been obtained, but was required. Held: Where a planning application if completed would have a substantial effect on the environment, and an environmental impact assessment should have been first obtained, … Continue reading Berkeley v Secretary of State For The Environment and Others: HL 11 May 2000
The case concerns the criminal liability under the ‘duty of care’ provisions of section 34 of the 1990 Act, of a commercial freeholder of property who verbally contracted out renovations works on the property, including the removal and disposal of any waste, to an independent contractor who on two successive days in December 2009 disposed … Continue reading Mountpace Ltd v London Borough of Haringey: Admn 28 Mar 2012
The respondent appealed against a finding that the provision which made a loan agreement completely invalid for lack of compliance with the 1974 Act was itself invalid under the Human Rights Act since it deprived the respondent lender of its property rights. It was also argued that it was not possible to make a declaration … Continue reading Wilson v Secretary of State for Trade and Industry; Wilson v First County Trust Ltd (No 2): HL 10 Jul 2003
Judges: Lloyd Jones , Hamblen , Hickinbottom LJJ Citations: [2017] EWCA Civ 1133, [2017] WLR(D) 522 Links: Bailii, WLRD Statutes: Environmental Protection Act 1990 78F Jurisdiction: England and Wales Environment, Land Updated: 28 March 2022; Ref: scu.591682
An award of costs is inevitable after a finding of statutory nuisance and such costs include cost of establishing the nuisance. ‘The wide discretion as to whether to grant an adjournment conferred by section 10 and section 54 of the Magistrates’ Court Act 1980 cannot, usually, be impugned. But it is a power which must … Continue reading Regina v Dudley Magistrates Court ex parte Hollis; Robert v Same: Admn 25 Nov 1997
[2003] EWHC 1184 (Admin) Bailii Environmental Protection Act 1990 80 England and Wales Criminal Practice, Environment Updated: 21 December 2021; Ref: scu.185339
Questions on Entry must be answered B was questioned at an airport under Schedule 7 to the 2000 Act, and required to answer questions asked by appropriate officers for the purpose set out. She refused to answer and was convicted of that refusal , contrary to paragraph 18 of that Schedule. She appealed, saying that … Continue reading Beghal v Director of Public Prosecutions: SC 22 Jul 2015
Use of Special Counsel as Last Resort Only The accused faced charges of conspiring to supply Class A drugs. The prosecution had sought public interest immunity certificates. Special counsel had been appointed by the court to represent the defendants’ interests at the applications. Held: It was permissible to use special counsel, but this must genuinely … Continue reading Regina v H; Regina v C: HL 5 Feb 2004
Cranston J said: ‘The issue before us is whether the judge was correct in ruling at a preparatory hearing for the trial that regulation 23 of the UK Regulations and article 36 of the EU Regulation catch all those who are involved in transporting waste for export, from the point of origin where waste is … Continue reading KV and Others v Regina: CACD 19 Oct 2011
The prosecutor appealed against a finding of no case to answer. The defendants were accused in relation to the deposit on farm land of soil and sub-soil excavated during construction works on other land. The defendants included the works manager and the farm owners. The prosecutor said the materials were controlled waste requiring a license … Continue reading W, C and C, Regina v: CACD 11 May 2010
Our law-index is a substantial selection from our database. Cases here are restricted in number by date and lack the additional facilities formerly available within lawindexpro. Please do enjoy this free version of the lawindex. Case law does not ‘belong’ to lawyers. Judgments are made up of words which can be read and understood (if … Continue reading law index
