Trial by jury acting in accordance with their conscience
Six Palestine Action activists, who in August 2024 had rammed the doors of an Israeli-owned arms company, smashed equipment, fought with security staff and seriously injured a female police officer, were acquitted of aggravated burglary and violent disorder while the jury were unable to agree on verdicts in respect of charges of criminal damage and grievous bodily harm. Much of the mayhem at Elbit Systems factory was filmed and the footage was shown to the jury. Following the verdicts some of the footage, showing protesters smashing equipment and fighting security staff, was shown on the BBC News.Chris Philp, the Shadow Home Secretary, described the the verdicts as perverse. Gideon Falter of the Campaign Against Antisemitism said,'This is what Britain has come to. You can ram a factory's doors with a truck. You can smash everything and attack security. You can break a female police officer's back with a sledgehammer when she is on the floor. And you can walk away scot-free if you did it for Palestine'.Some on Putney Forum might explain the verdicts on the basis that the jurors had acted in accordance with their conscience. I don't agree. Acting in accordance with your conscience surely means giving an honest verdict in respect of the facts of the case. It doesn't mean acting in accordance with your political convictions whether on Gaza or any other issue.
Steven Rose ● 1d11 Comments ● 43m