Sheffield Defend Our Juries are celebrating following the High Court decision on Monday to dismiss the application of Robert Courts MP, the Solicitor General, to imprison Trudi Warner, a 69-year-old retired social worker. She held a sign outside Inner London Crown Court in March 2023 saying “that a jury has the right to acquit a defendant as a matter of conscience, whatever the directions of the judge” and coincided with the prosecution of a group of people for taking direct action to tackle climate breakdown and fuel poverty.
Category Archives: Defend our Juries
14 local residents defend historic role of juries outside Sheffield Crown Court
This morning, 16.04.2024 at 8:45am a group of Sheffield residents sat outside Sheffield Crown Court holding signs with the words “The right of juries to give their verdict according to their convictions”
Joining hundreds of others around England and Wales as part of the Defend Our Juries National Week of Action, April 13th – 21st, where every crown court in England & Wales will be visited by people to remind jurors that they have the right to acquit a defendant based on their conscience, irrespective of the directions of the judge.
Their signs display the centuries-old principle of ‘jury equity’, i.e. the right of all jurors in British courtrooms to acquit a defendant according to their conscience and irrespective of the directions of the judge. Famously, in 1984, a jury acquitted the civil servant, Clive Ponting, on this principle after he exposed government misinformation to the public and Parliament concerning the ‘Falklands War’
Sheffielders take part in Citizens’ Juries at the Royal Courts of Justice
On 21 February, over 100 people, including 4 from Sheffield, gathered within the central hall at the Royal Courts of Justice (RCJ), London, to hold a series of peaceful People’s Assemblies or ‘Citizens Juries’, in what is being described as ‘a makeover’ of British Justice. The Assembly was prompted by the Attorney General’s application, beingContinue reading “Sheffielders take part in Citizens’ Juries at the Royal Courts of Justice”
“PLEASE PROSECUTE ME” SAY JURY DEFENDERS
It’s not often you hear people asking to be prosecuted. Today is an unusual day. In an act of solidarity, residents from Sheffield sent a copy of a 300-signature letter to the Solicitor General. In the letter the signatories, including residents from Sheffield, challenged the solicitor general to prosecute them. The spokesperson for the Group StephContinue reading ““PLEASE PROSECUTE ME” SAY JURY DEFENDERS”
Defend Our Juries activists risk arrest in Sheffield.
Twelve Defend our Juries activists risked arrest outside Sheffield Crown Court on Monday December 4th as part of a national campaign that included 52 Crown Courts. Apart from this excellent coverage by Now Then Magazine the local press have so far ignored this story. Nationally the protests have been covered by The Canary and theContinue reading “Defend Our Juries activists risk arrest in Sheffield.”
Local residents defend the historic role of juries outside Sheffield Crown Court
A press release from Sheffield Defend our Juries On Monday 4 December from 8:45am until 10am, a group of 12 Sheffield residents joined hundreds of others around the country in holding signs outside Sheffield Crown Court, as part of the growing public campaign Defend Our Juries. Their signs display the centuries-old principle of ‘jury equity’,Continue reading “Local residents defend the historic role of juries outside Sheffield Crown Court”
Fourteen brave protesters risk arrest at Sheffield Court to defend juries.
Fourteen very brave protestors risked arrest outside Sheffield Crown Court on Monday, September 25th. It was part of a national campaign to defend our juries. (see defendourjuries.org for more information). They all held signs reading ‘The right of juries: to give their verdict according to their convictions’. What’s it all about? In the past, someContinue reading “Fourteen brave protesters risk arrest at Sheffield Court to defend juries.”
Tell the Truth Sheffield 