Church of England vicar in group carrying out citizens arrests against oil executives
Church of England vicar Revd Helen Burnett, along with a small group of women, have carried out citizens arrests on fossil fuel and water company executives for their part in driving major environmental pollution. On Monday 26th March, members of the Citizens Arrest Network, carried out citizens arrests on Serica Energy Corporate Affairs Officer Stephen Lambert, Enquest Chief Financial Officer, Jonathan Copus and Chief Executive Officer of Harbour Energy and former Shell Gas & Power, Linda Z Cook. Last week two executives at Thames Water, Chris Weston and Alastair Cochran, were also placed under citizens arrest under suspicion of committing multiple counts of public nuisance. [1]
Also this week, Revd Helen Burnett submitted draft indictment papers to the Crown Prosecution Service, accusing top executives at oil major BP of public nuisance. Those named in the draft indictment papers were BP CEO Murray Auchincloss and Executive Vice Presidents Gordon Birrell and Mike Sosso [2]. The indictments were delivered to the CPS in place of citizens’ arrests, as Citizen’s Arrest Network believes that all executive staff at BP have been instructed to stay away from head offices following previous citizen’s arrests. Copies of the indictments against BP executives were also handed in to Holborn Police Station.
Revd Helen Burnett, Vicar at St Peter and St Paul Church in Chalden, Surrey, said: “For me, this campaign is a litmus test for our judicial system. I’m sceptical that our judicial system is fit for purpose, and this will test if it is really willing and able to hold the rich and powerful to account.
“The law is currently protecting the rich and the highest emitters, while the poorest and the most vulnerable to carbon emissions remain unprotected. If justice is about ensuring the equal flourishing of all people and removing those things that harm the majority, then those who are involved at a high level in harmful fossil fuel industries are the people who should be held to account under the law.”
BP is responsible for 30 million times more CO2 than the average UK citizen, with their CEO, Murray Auchincloss, receiving in excess of £8m in salary and bonuses and paying dividends of £17.7bn to shareholders in 2024. [3] In 2024, BP also received £35 million in government subsidies. [4] The known effects of climate change, which BP have long known to be caused by fossil fuel extraction, cause a public nuisance with huge risks and damage resulting from pollution, flooding, extreme heat and disruption to food supplies. [5]
-ENDS-
Sources
[1] https://www.citizensarrestnetwork.org/press
[2] Executives named in the draft indictments from BP are:
- Murray Auchincloss, CEO since January 2024
- Gordon Birrell, Executive Vice President: Production & Operations since January 2020
- Mike Sosso, Executive Vice President: Legal since January 2024
[4] https://unitedleft.org.uk/bp-makes-record-profit-pays-no-tax-gets-government-subsidy/
[5] https://www.ciel.org/news/bp-acknowledged-climate-risk-of-fossil-fuels-in-1990/
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Citizen’s Arrest Network will hold those making the decisions driving the worst environmental pollution to account. Citizen’s Arrest Network has evidence of the crimes they are committing and will use it to make citizen’s arrests.
Have you ever wondered why the biggest polluters aren’t behind bars? Why doesnʼt the law prevent companies from damaging the environment? Why aren’t those responsible for disrupting our lives and harming the public arrested?
The criminals responsible for filling our rivers with shit and the seas with plastic have been hiding behind big companies for too long. We can no longer stand by as crimes are committed. It’s time to hold these criminals to account.
Citizen’s Arrest Network has handed evidence to lawyers to submit to the Crown Prosecution Service and confronted these criminals. Taking peaceful and legitimate action to put a stop to this.
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