Protest group demonstrates outside Aylesbury Crown Court over social worker case

A protest group demonstrated outside of Aylesbury Crown Court as part of a national campaign yesterday (15 April).

Residents from Aylesbury and surrounding areas sat outside the court for 90 minutes. They were representing the Defend Our Juries campaign, launched in response to cases where members believe the UK legal system was abused.

Representatives from the protest group have coordinated a week of action by arranging a series of peaceful protests outside courtrooms across the country.

Aylesbury protesters were hoping to raise awareness of the Trudi Warner case. She is a retired care worker who was charged with contempt of court in London last year.

She was arrested for holding a sign saying: “Jurors you have an absolute right to acquit a defendant according to your conscience.”

Protesters in Aylesbury held signs with the same message on them.

The permission hearing for the Attorney General’s application to commit Trudi Warner to prison will be heard in the Royal Courts of Justice on Thursday (18 April).

Graham Cox a retired domestic appliance engineer from Aylesbury said: “I was here today because our courts are being pressurised by this corrupt government to criminalise peaceful protesters. We must maintain the centuries-old right of all jurors in British courtrooms to acquit a defendant according to their conscience irrespective of the judge's directions.”

Campaign members claim they are concerned judges are effectively “gagging” climate protesters from telling juries about environmental issues.