Overview

• Five Supreme Court justices unanimously ruled that the public has the right to wild camp on Dartmoor Commons without requiring landowner permission.
• The judgment clarified that 'open-air recreation' in the Dartmoor Commons Act 1985 includes activities like camping, not limited to walking or horseback riding.
• Landowners Alexander and Diana Darwall argued that wild camping harmed livestock and the environment, but these concerns were dismissed by the court.
• The Dartmoor National Park Authority welcomed the decision, emphasizing its ability to regulate camping through bylaws to ensure responsible use.
• Campaigners celebrated the ruling as a victory for access rights and called for broader legislation to expand wild camping and right-to-roam protections across England.