7 November 2020 — Good Law Project

One of the ways we believe Good Law Project can hold Government to account is by fighting for transparency. Litigation is a powerful tool for bringing information into the light and keeping those in power honest. It’s why we publish our legal correspondence.

Last month, we shared the Government’s response to our legal challenge over its outdated energy policy that promotes the development of fossil fuel projects. That response showed how even Government now accepted its policy on climate change needed review. We posted the documents on our website and sent them to you in an email. We believe that you have a right to know what Government is doing – or not doing – to tackle this existential crisis.

The Government disagreed. Their lawyers wrote to us claiming it was a ‘misuse of the documents’ and threatening sanctions over our preference for transparency. However, legal advice commissioned by Good Law Project shows we were entirely right to share this important information with you and we have told the Government just that. We will not be bullied into silence.

This Government is bent on keeping us in the dark, whether on timely information on who is winning Covid-19 contracts, the prices they are paying to their friends, or how much they are spending on ‘Operation Moonshot’. This latest attempt to keep us silent on important litigation addressing the climate emergency shows the lengths they will go to in order to dodge scrutiny.

Despite their efforts, we will continue to fight for transparency.

Thank you,

Jolyon Maugham QC
Director of Good Law Project