by P
hoebe Spence, East Cheshire Area Quaker Meeting
This campaign Defend our Juries (https://defendourjuries.org/) arose from the experience of climate protesters in court: judges precluding what the jury could hear, motivation, no mention of fuel poverty or climate crisis, etc.
Jurors have an absolute right to acquit a defendant according to their conscience. Essentially it is based on the precedent set by the jury in the case of Quakers William Penn and William Meade in 1670, commemorated on a plaque in the Old Bailey (and part of the Quaker Tapestry).
I joined the Manchester protest not knowing anyone. The one Quaker who had been involved previously was away. So given it was an arrestable offence (Trudi Warner is up for perverting the course of justice for holding her sign) I was a bit anxious not knowing anyone, and being advised not to take a phone, or other personal effects. Also I was uncomfortable at ignoring any curious enquiries – someone else would deal with that. Turning the Tide teaches that affinity groups need to build trust, plenty of preparation if you might be arrested. But all was well, mainly younger people from the region who knew each other via XR etc, friendly and supportive – we looked out for each other, and I felt included.
On 21 February Defend our Juries will be holding an event at the Royal Courts of Justice in London to coincide with the review of “Belief in Consent”, the last remaining legal defence available to people on trial for taking direct action that damages property. It has been one of the only routes ‘in law’ that allows jurors to hear the whole truth from the defendants!
Having no legal defences at trial, which is currently the case for many on trial for charges of ‘public nuisance’ (among others), has led some Judges to rule that the motivation and context of a defendant’s actions are ‘irrelevant’ and last year people were sent to prison just for explaining their actions, for telling the whole truth, in a British courtroom. This affects most protesters, including non-violent and the UN has raised its concerns about this: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/jan/23/un-expert-condemns-uk-crackdown-on-environmental-protest.
On Sunday 7 April there will be a re-enactment of the Penn and Meade trial of 1670 in London, but it could also happen elsewhere too if Friends are interested. Help with costumes would be appreciated! – Watch this video about the background and plans
So, I would say: Join in with others, be adventurous, live your values, find that of “God”, build trust against the increasingly fascist state. There is likely to be another national day of protest in the spring, as there are various related cases pending (our justice system is much delayed, dysfunctional).
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Categories Human Rights, nonviolence, Quakers