Nine Arrested While Holding Jury Equity Signs Outside Filton24 Trial
‘An absolute right to acquit according to conscience.’
Nine people have been arrested for breaching a Section 14 order while holding signs communicating the principle of jury equity outside a court where Palestine Action activists are being retried.
Their signs read: “Jurors have an absolute right to acquit according to their conscience” and “Jurors deserve to hear the whole truth”. The latter sign appears to reference a court order, which prohibits British media outlets from reporting on certain aspects of some proceedings.
The nine people arrested were holding handwritten signs outside Woolwich crown court on Friday 24 April, where six Filton24 defendants are currently being retried on charges of criminal damage in connection with a Palestine Action raid on an Elbit Systems factory in Filton, South Gloucestershire, in August 2024.
A Section 14 order was implemented on both Thursday and Friday to prevent any demonstrations near the court outside of a designated area. A DOJ spokesperson told Novara Media that the area where protest was permitted by the Metropolitan police is a mile away from the court, which defeats the purpose of the protest.
…
The principle of jury equity is the common law principle that juries have the power to acquit according to their conscience. Its origins can be found in Bushell’s Case of 1670, which established the right of a jury to find facts and apply the law to those facts according to its conscience – without fear of judicial reprisal.
A plaque in the Old Bailey, visible to any serving juror or court user passing through the Grand Hall, includes a reference to this same principle.
DOJ has called today’s arrests on the basis of the Public Order Act a “cynical attempt” to bypass the high court judge’s 2024 ruling on the Warner case.
…
