Campaigners who believe legal system is under threat launch silent protest outside Aylesbury Crown Court

Protesters holding signs outside Aylesbury Crown Court have launched a silent protest as part of the Defend our Juries campaign.

This morning (4 December), protesters across the country have been campaigning for greater jury support. Demonstrators in Aylesbury believe jury equity is under threat, and that more needs to be done to ensure people can acquit defendants regardless of judges’ guidance.

Graham Cox, 61, a retired domestic appliance engineer from Aylesbury said: “I will be sitting in silence outside Aylesbury Crown Court to raise awareness of the vital constitutional safeguard that juries can acquit a defendant as a matter.”

Protesters are aware they risk being arrested during the demonstration, they referenced a where a 68-year-old retired social worker, Trudi Warner, was charged with contempt of court, for holding a similar sign outside Inner London Crown Court in March.

Hemel Hempstead resident Martin Strivens added: “We will be taking a stand, silently, with placards that tell the truth, to defend the human

and democratic right to trial by jury. It’s wrong for the courts to suppress evidence to make a guilty verdict more likely.”

Members of the Defend our Juries group are concerned with cases involving environmental protest have been processed through the legal system. They have highlighted cases where defendants have not been allowed to speak during their hearings.

Berkhamsted Quaker and grandma Sue Hampton said: “We are literally upholding the law. We are seeing trials where nonviolent protesters are

being prevented from telling juries why they acted as they did, in a rapidly accelerating climate and ecological emergency.”

The Government has been approached to comment.

More details of the protest group’s message can be found online.

Protesters believe their campaign is gaining traction, after the Solicitor General’s announcement to prosecute Warner, 252 people gathered outside 25 crown courts across England and Wales, holding similar signs in solidarity with her. None were arrested and there has been no indication of a police investigation since then, the group has said. An investigation into people previously arrested for displaying posters with the same message has now been discontinued.