Lord Woolf is known to be concerned that the BSE crisis, GM food trials and the foot-and-mouth epidemic created a “perception that politically expedient decisions” were taking “priority over what is really in the interest of the public and the environment”.In a recent speech, he said the lack of public scrutiny had caused “a vicious spiral of secrecy leading to suspicion, and sometimes irrational hysteria, about the environment”.A new court, staffed by specialist judges and backed up by a regulatory body to oversee scientists, would help protect the environment and public, he said. New rights of appeal would be extended to third parties, who under the current law have no power to challenge planning or other decisions that affect the environment.A further recommendation being considered by ministers is to make more legal aid available for environmental cases.Senior members of the judiciary, including the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Woolf, support the call for the new court. The report, undertaken by the Centre for Law and the Environment at University College London, concluded that the new court should be a higher tribunal to hear appeals on all environmental law policy. This is combined with a perceived bias of judges and other adjudicators towards “development and commerce”- a bias often reflected by lenient sentences meted out in magistrates’ courts.

It recommends a specialist environmental court is made up of a panel of judges and non-legal environment experts..A second study, also commissioned by Defra, found that just as many judicial review challenges were being brought by big business as by individuals or groups threatened by pollution or development. The new court would have a wide jurisdiction, hearing prosecutions against polluters, settling planning disputes as well as dealing with other potential threats to the environment, such as the siting of GM crops, wind turbines or even airports.One of the reports, by environmental consultants Capacity Global, found there is a perception of a “failure of the government and the legal system to recognise the strong public interest element of environmental cases”. However, Brad Ingram’s use of the term “undertaking” for this manoeuvre (letter, 27 August) could be considered unfortunate – though it does highlight the possible dangers.MICHAEL MORIARTY London SW18. Judges are to be given tough powers to protect Britain from pollution and over-development under propoosals for a new environmental court. The Mayor of London’s support for the event preceded his invitation to Sheikh al-Qaradawi; in any case, the sheikh is not coming, with the forum falling on the first days of Ramadan.ANAS ALTIKRITI Muslim Association of Britain London N4 Under threat Sir: As a procedure for more efficient use of motorways, overtaking on the inside definitely deserves investigation.

This event is rich in importance and the agenda for reform of our world that it brings; there will be tens of thousands of participants and speakers too numerous to mention. Just as reassuring as it was to read in Labour’s 2001 Manifesto: “We will not introduce ‘top-up’ fees and have legislated to prevent them.”COLIN STANDFIELD London W7 Dashing away Sir: It may interest you to know that 65 years ago my twin and I used to send Morse code messages to each other during lessons at school (letter: “Dotty habit”, 27 August). Sitting one behind the other, the one in front simply slipped a foot out into the aisle – the toe was a dot and the heel a dash. It was quite an effective pursuit when things got a little boring. I, too, can still repeat the alphabet.STUART DALZIEL Hope Valley, Derbyshire London conference Sir: You labelled the European Social Forum an “al-Qaradawi conference” (Pandora, 26 August).