Post #2449822

2026-05-12 17:20 UTC

How worried is the Govt. that Palestine Action protestors have the sympathy of juries? enough to hide from the jury the fact that they would e sentenced not as criminals (having been convicted of criminal damage) but rather as terrorists. At best, its a grossly unjust manipulation of procedure, and at worst brings the justice system into disrepute as juries are being lied to (albeit by omission). This Govt.'s 'respect' for the rule of law seems ever weaker! #politics https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/may/12/palestine-action-activists-elbit-protest-terrorist-connection-ruling

Replies (11)

@mukto_manob@mastodon.social 2026-05-12 17:31

@ChrisMayLA6@zirk.us I think this is why they're trying to fast track some trials to bypass Juries and as a cause saying that to cut down the backlogs! But the actual intention is more visible now.

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@gcvsa@mstdn.plus 2026-05-12 17:34

@ChrisMayLA6@zirk.us It seems to me that this would be grounds for overturning any conviction, since it constitutes material fact having been withheld from the jury's consideration that could have resulted in a refusal to convict on those charges.

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@benh@mastodon.scot 2026-05-12 17:35

@ChrisMayLA6@zirk.us my knowledge of English Law came from reading John Mortimer; but I thought that it creates grounds for an appeal / retrial / quashing when a judge is shown to misdirect the jury

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@http_error_418@hachyderm.io 2026-05-12 17:44

@ChrisMayLA6@zirk.us why the fuck do we even have separate sentencing for terrorists? The whole point of trying them in civilian courts is to emphasise that terrorists *are* criminals as opposed to enemy combatants in a war.

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@hoare_spitall@mastodon.world 2026-05-12 18:06

@ChrisMayLA6@zirk.us Well said Sir!

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@tribactam@social.vivaldi.net 2026-05-12 18:40

@ChrisMayLA6@zirk.us What I don't understand in these cases, is how it is legal that this is hidden from the juries. Lying by omission is still lying. Is this a consequence of Labour's law-making?

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@gemlog@friendface.kalum.ca 2026-05-13 00:59

@ChrisMayLA6@zirk.us Agree, but rather phrase it that the government's contempt for the rule of law is ever stronger. Starmer, like his hero Trump, just sweeps such frivolities as Justice to the side. I do what I want. Justice is Just Us. You're saying it wrong.

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@Shivviness@beige.party 2026-05-13 04:47

@ChrisMayLA6@zirk.us IMO lying by omission is still lying and not materially different to other types of lies. I hope the public recognise this unfairness and that this ruling takes a sledgehammer to foundations of English "justice", such as it is.

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@holdenweb@freeradical.zone 2026-05-13 05:31

@ChrisMayLA6@zirk.us @NormanDunbar@mastodon.scot This government HAS no respect for the rule of law. The law is just another weapon to bludgeon the poor with.

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@Rhodium103@mastodon.social 2026-05-13 06:45

@ChrisMayLA6@zirk.us Creating a class of criminal you can just ignore the law and process for is the entire point of the term "terrorist" anyway. Now the managerialists get to follow their dream of using it to get rid of citizens who make things messy and complicated.

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@cyberspice@oldbytes.space 2026-05-13 08:53

@ChrisMayLA6@zirk.us Surely that is grounds for appeal?

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