The Jury's Out - Contempt And Intimidation

This morning, as I was scrolling through my news feeds, I came across two articles regarding jurors, highlighting just how archaic and dangerous the law in this country and the US can be.

One article, my local newspaper, the Waltham Forest Echo, described how 40 people, including an Olympic gold medallist and a formal government lawyer, have signed a letter calling on the Solicitor General to charge them with contempt, in solidarity, if a 68 year old is prosecuted.

The woman at the centre of this story is a Walthamstow resident and retired social worker. She faces contempt of court charges for allegedly holding a sign directed at jurors outside a criminal trial in London. The trial was of four climate activists who were charged with causing a public nuisance by blocking traffic on a busy London road. The placard she (allegedly) held read: "Jurors: You have an absolute right to acquit a defendant according to your conscience." The jury ended up convicting the four