Judge orders urgent hearing over solar subsidy

According to The Guardian, the government faced embarrassment on Thursday over its decision to halve solar subsidies when the high court gave leave for a judicial review.

Friends of the Earth (FoE) and two renewable power companies will be able to formally challenge the ministerial decision on Tuesday and Wednesday next week in the same court.

FoE's executive director, Andy Atkins, said: "We're delighted the high court has given the go-ahead to our legal challenge. We believe government plans to abruptly slash solar subsidies are not only unfair, but illegal.

"These proposals have already had a disastrous impact on the solar industry - fledgling clean businesses have had the rug pulled from under their feet and a shadow hangs over thousands of jobs."

Daniel Green, founder of HomeSun, one of the companies that started proceedings against the government, said the legal ruling by the high court was a blow in favour of common sense.