On 15 August, the new solicitor general, Sarah Sackman, told the court of appeal in London that she would not be pursuing a case of contempt of court against Trudi Warner.
In March 2023, the 69-year-old retired social worker and Insulate Britain climate campaigner had held up a sign outside Inner London Crown Court saying: ‘Jurors, you have an absolute right to acquit a defendant according to your conscience.’
This April, the high court in London had thrown out an attempt by the previous solicitor general, Robert Courts KC, to prosecute Trudi, but Courts had said he wanted to appeal that decision.
That appeal will now not go ahead.
The case led to a new group forming, Defend Our Juries, and large number of people demonstrating outside courtrooms to alert juries to their right to acquit, regardless of what the judge says. This right is known in the UK as ‘jury equity’ and in the US as ‘jury nullification’.
