Environment Agency v Hughes and others

Contempt of court – Committal. The second defendant operated a waste transfer station under a permit granted under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010 by the claimant, the Environment Agency. The first defendant was the waste site manager. A suspension notice was issued seeking to reduce the accumulated pile of waste on the site by imposing conditions. Following an alleged lack of compliance with that notice, the claimant applied for committal of the defendants for contempt of court. The Queen's Bench Division dismissed the application finding that there had been too much uncertainty as to what and how the relevant part of the order was to be complied with for it to be enforced by the process of contempt.