Environmental prosecutions - are the law and the judiciary up to it?

The intricate history and technical complexity of some environmental offences can make them problematic for the courts to handle. When a judge fails to engage with a case and court procedures make it difficult for the prosecution to counter claims made by the defence, the outcome can make the law an ineffectual tool for protecting the environment and punishing offenders - as witnessed by a recent prosecution of a landfill operator in Durham.