Restore Passenger Rail protester trial

The story so far

Four members of the Restore Passenger Rail group went on trial in the Wellington District Court on charges of endangering transport.^{26 Feb 2025; 6 Mar 2025} Prosecutors allege that the group's October 2022 protests, which stopped rush-hour highway traffic, created unreasonable risks for the public.^{26 Feb 2025; 6 Mar 2025} The jury had to decide whether those actions were a reasonable response to the climate crisis, and it retired for the weekend on 7 March without a verdict.^{6, 7 Mar 2025}

What's next

Retrials are ordered for the three defendants on the charges the jury could not decide.^{11 Mar 2025}

Key moments

1. 26 Feb 2025Trial begins for four Restore Passenger Rail members in Wellington District Court.
2. 6 Mar 2025Jury asked whether the highway protests were a reasonable response to climate crisis.
3. 7 Mar 2025Jury retires for the weekend without reaching a verdict.
4. 10 Mar 2025One protester acquitted; deliberations continue on the other three.
5. 11 Mar 2025Jury deadlocks on remaining charges; retrials ordered for three defendants.

Written from the stories below; each sentence links to its sources.