We have a court date!

January 24, 2026 by Beyond GM

We have some important news to share.

The High Court has now confirmed that our challenge to the Government’s deregulation of genetically modified ‘precision bred’ organisms in food and farming will be heard at a rolled-up hearing over 12-13 May. This means the Court will consider, in one hearing, both whether the case should proceed and the substance of the legal arguments themselves.

This is a significant step. It means the Court considers our case serious, arguable and worthy of full consideration.

The Court has also made two important procedural decisions. First, it has agreed that this is an environmental case under the Aarhus Convention, so our cost caps have been agreed, which limits our exposure to the Government’s legal costs if we lose. This is an essential safeguard for public-interest cases like ours. Second, it has mandated that the case will be heard by a senior judge, reflecting the complexity and wider importance of the issues raised.

We are asking the Court to examine whether the Government lawfully removed transparency, public participation, traceability and safeguards for the environmental release and marketing of genetically modified “precision bred” organisms — and whether it can rely on assumptions and non-statutory guidance where Parliament expected proper regulation.

As everyone who has joined together to support this case so far knows, this hearing matters not just for farming and food, but for how emerging genetic technologies are regulated more generally – now and in the future.

While reaching this stage is good news, it also means we now have a lot of detailed work to do before May. That work is already underway.

If you’ve supported us already, thank you! Your support is what has brought us this far. If you can give again, and/or share the campaign with others who can contribute, you will be helping ensure that the Court hears this case fully and fairly. The link, as always, is via CrowdJustice (and the fundraiser resets automatically every 30 days until the case is wrapped up).

This is a rare opportunity to test whether deregulation without transparency or consent is lawful. With your help, we can see it through.