High Court Judge Backs Right to Hold Jury Sign Outside Criminal Trials

A High Court judge has refused permission for a protester, who was accused of “deliberately targeting” jurors by holding up a sign outside a court where climate activists were due to go on trial, to be prosecuted for contempt of court. Trudi Warner, a retired social worker, was arrested on March 27, 2023 outside Inner London Crown Court before a trial involving members of the activist group Insulate Britain. Her sign read, “Jurors you have an absolute right to acquit a defendant according to your conscience.” Similar placards have been held outside the Central Criminal Court—better known as the Old Bailey—and several other courts in the past 12 months....