The Extinction Rebellion protests of 2019 and 2020 resulted in peaceful protesters being charged for a range of minor, non-violent criminal offences. The defence to those charges is necessity, a defence tightly restricted in its use by the courts. This article argues that in the specific context of minor criminal offences committed during anthropogenic global warming (AGW) protests, necessity must be reconceptualised. This is particularly so given the growing international recognition of that defence in AGW protest matters, the increasing state prohibition on protest and the unique manner in which AGW protests subvert the strict application of the rule of law.

2019 年和 2020 年的灭绝叛乱抗议活动导致和平抗议者被指控犯有一系列轻微的非暴力刑事犯罪。对这些指控的辩护是必要的，法院严格限制使用这种辩护。本文认为，在人为全球变暖 (AGW) 抗议期间犯下的轻微刑事犯罪的特定背景下，必须重新定义必要性。鉴于 AGW 抗议事务中的辩护得到越来越多的国际认可，国家对抗议的禁令越来越多，以及 AGW 抗议颠覆严格法治的独特方式，这一点尤其如此。