Britain's Prince Charles is battling to keep his private estate from being a public authority.
Britain's Prince Charles
Legal representatives for the 67-year-old royal's Duchy of Cornwall estate are appealing the decision, which allows environmental data about their onsite oyster farm to be made public after campaigner Michael Bruton claimed the farm is causing environmental damage to the local area.
According to the Mail Online, Thomas de la Mare QC, who is representing the heir to the throne's estate, said: "It is not a natural or legal personality. The Duchy is in fact shorthand for the land owned by the Duke, subject to restrictions contained in a charter.
"None of the relevant powers are the powers of the Duchy, as opposed to the Duke. None of the relevant powers in question, save perhaps the ceremonial aspects, are concerned with service of public interest. There is no separate legal personality for the Duchy. Any claim that it does have such separate legal personality may present consequences outside this litigation."
Michael Bruton has been campaigning for the information to be released since 2008 but it was rejected by the Duchy estate at the time because they claimed the Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) did not consider them to be a public authority.
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