BACKGROUND TO THE CONTEMPT PROCEEDINGS

A STATEMENT FROM THE SPEAK CO-FOUNDERS

SPEAK are an organisation that has been peacefully campaigning against the development of a new animal research lab by Oxford University, which has been under construction since March 2004. Since November 2004, SPEAK and named individuals have had an Injunction Order against them. This Order has been updated on a couple of occasions since 2004 whenever SPEAK have introduced a new dimension into the campaign.

It is quite clear that the purpose of the Injunctions is an attempt by Oxford University to silence SPEAK from telling the truth about what goes on at the university’s vivisection departments and to curtail legitimate protest against them. It has only been in the last few months that SPEAK have successfully forced the University down the route of an Injunction trial. Until now, they have been content with obtaining one temporary injunction after another, thereby avoiding the need to produce factual evidence rather than merely hearsay, innuendo and on many occasions downright lies, including branding us as spearheading ‘terror’ campaigns and being fronts for the ALF. We have at every stage been at pains to put them right on these points.

The fact that Robert Cogswell and Mel Broughton are in court on the 1st February originates from a court hearing that took place on Thursday 19th October. The reason why the two SPEAK Co-founders were in the High Court this time was because on Monday 16th October 2006, SPEAK posted on the website a story that highlighted who SPEAK believe to be the company responsible for building the new lab at Oxford University is. After all, if we weren’t able to name the company, how would SPEAK be able to protest against the company building the lab? SPEAK's right to protest and therefore its right to name the company we want to protest against is enshrined in European Convention on Human Rights, articles 10 and 11, which allows the freedom of speech as well as the freedom of association.

By 7pm on the 16th October, Oxford University solicitors had been granted an ex parte hearing