Mr Justice Hamblin of the Admiralty Court announced his decision this morning in the courtroom in London. His ruling was that the U.K. Court was not the proper place to file the suit against Sea Shepherd and ordered the case against the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Sea Shepherd U.K. and Captain Paul Watson dismissed. Fish and Fish requested an appeal. The Judge refused the appeal. Fish and Fish may still appeal the ruling to a higher court.
Pending a possible appeal, Sea Shepherd will have the bond of 520,000 pounds (approximately $780,000.00 USD plus interest) returned. The judge ruled that Fish and Fish must pay a percentage of Sea Shepherd's legal fees in the case, which could amount to over 200,000 additional pounds.
This case saw the Steve Irwin arrested in Scotland in July of 2011 and released only after the bond was posted. The bond was raised in only 10 days from Sea Shepherd supporters worldwide. Read the full report here.
Source: Sea Shepherd, U.K.
