A protest has taken place outside Salisbury Law Courts as campaigners are showing their support to a woman who got involved with the law after holding up a sign outside of a court.
In 2023, Trudi Warner, a 68 year-old retired social worker, was arrested for contempt of court while protesting outside Inner London Crown Court.
Trudi sat outside Inner London Crown Court during the trial of climate protestors, reminding the jury of their rights to consider their conscience when acquitting protesters, although the judge had ordered the defendants not to mention climate change issues in their defence.
The Solicitor General served her with prosecution papers soon after, prompting widespread responses.
Her case is due to be heard on Thursday, April 18 at the Royal Court of Justice.
She was reportedly protesting over the restrictions set by a judge towards the jury in a case involving climate activists.
On Monday, April 15, hundreds of people were standing in partnership outside of their local courts in a nationwide protest in support of Trudi.
This included a protest outside Salisbury Court by campaign group, Defend Our Juries.
Nick Aslett, 59, a social worker from Bradford-on-Avon, said: “An absolutely fundamental part of the English criminal justice system is the jury system and there are concerns at the moment that there are elements of the criminal justice system undermining the role the jury is playing.
"Today is about bringing to the public conscience a right for jurors that was established in the 1600s as a vital part of the role of a juror.”
Mr Aslett explained how the idea of ‘jury equity’ came about in 1670 following the trial of quakers Willian Penn and William Mead who were charged with unlawful assembly.
“The jury’s right to acquit according to its conscience must remain as a critical part of the criminal justice system, added Mr Aslett, who had attended two similar protests previously.
“Today is part of an ongoing campaign of awareness raising.”
Jenny Shackleford, a gardener from Frome, said she would be willing to get arrested if it meant the message would be spread.
The 61-year-old said: “I think that people need to stand up for our rights as citizens. That could have happened to a fellow citizen, that could have been me, so I’m going to stand with her.”
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