Activists from Defend Our Juries take to Lincoln Crown Court to protect jury equity following Trudi Warner trial

Residents joined hundreds around the country in a silent protest to defend jury rights outside a crown court.

Activist group Defend Our Juries has been holding placards across the nation as part of a national week of action, and Monday, April 15 saw four gathered in the rain outside Lincoln Crown Court.

The group is campaigning to protect the centuries-old principle of “jury equity” – the right of juries to acquit a defendant according to their conscience and regardless of the directions of the judge.

They are doing so in support of retired social worker Trudi Warner, who was facing a prison sentence from the High Court this week for contempt of court after she carried a sign expressing the right outside Inner London Crown Court.

Running the risk of being arrested like Warner, protesters took to the courthouse on from 8.45am until 10am holding their own signs showing the same thing in solidarity with the social worker.

“Our democracy is fragile, and Juries are critical to the process through which ordinary people get justice,” said Rosemary Robinson, a retired community development worker.

“Jurors must be free to hear the whole truth before they come to their conclusions”

Imogen Wild, an ecologist, added: “Many climate activists are facing trial by jury following their desperate attempts to alert the Government of the dire consequences of not taking immediate and decisive action on global heating.

“Yet, they will be barred from even mentioning the climate crisis in their defence.

“Juries will be denied the Truth, the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth when reaching their verdict”.

Defend Our Juries highlighted acquittals in recent years as an important reminder of jury equity. These include the Colson Four, in 2022, or the Brook House Three.

In February, 300 people signed an open letter to Solicitor General Robert Courts regarding the Trudi Warner case.

The Courts and Tribunals Judiciary has been approached for comment.