Judge bans demonstrations outside court

[Simon Fairlie]

>
> Draconian restrictions on demonstrations outside court have been  
> imposed by a judge at the Old Bailey on Thursday 6 September.
> John Letts, a well known pioneer of the  heritage wheat revival,  
> and his wife Sally, are on trial for funding terrorism, after  
> trying to send their son Jack some money so he could escape from  
> Isis territory where he had been working in a hospital, but had  
> become disillusioned with the regime,
> About 30 people gathered outside the court when the proceedings  
> began to give moral support to John and Sally who clearly had no  
> intention of funding terrorism, but simply wanted to help their son  
> escape. Jack is currently in a prison in Kurdistan.
>
> This evening we received this email from one of the demonstrators  
> who was in court
>
>> In short, we must not protest outside the court.
>> >
>> > The judge has said people might be arrested for contempt,  with  
>> imprisonment and/or heavy fine, reflective of the cost of delaying  
>> the trial for a couple of days.
>> >
>> > He pointed out  that demonstrations can influence things in  
>> either direction, eg if the jury thinks the defendants' side is  
>> trying to  influence that can backfire and prejudice them against  
>> the defendants.
>> >
>> >A new jury has to be found so proceedings have been delayed till  
>> Monday. Meanwhile other procedural stuff is going ahead.
>>
>> Another demonstrator commented: “Apparently the judge had  
>> seriously considered arresting people on the demonstration outside  
>> but in the end has issued this warning. It seems to have   
>> something to do with the protests outside court for Tommy  
>> Robinson’s contempt of court hearing – they want to show they will  
>> be strict with liberals as well as the extreme right?” She noted  
>> that  journalists and barristers are outraged by the judge’s  
>> ruling, but probably can do nothing for the moment in case they  
>> too are in contempt of court.

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