No legal action can be taken against the protester for contempt, the Supreme Court has ruled

A High Court judge has refused permission to take legal action against a protester for contempt of court after she was accused of “deliberately assaulting” jurors by holding up a sign outside a court ahead of a trial of climate activists .

Trudi Warner was arrested on March 27 last year for holding up a sign outside an entrance used by jurors at Inner London Crown Court ahead of a trial involving members of the climate group Insulate Britain.

The sign read: “Jurors, you have the absolute right to acquit a defendant according to your own conscience.”

At a hearing last Thursday, lawyers for Solicitor General Robert Courts, a senior government legal official, asked the High Court for the green light to proceed with action against Ms Warner for contempt of court over her “serious interference” in ‘administration’. of justice”.

Lawyers for Ms Warner, a retired social worker from Walthamstow, east London, argued that her actions did not constitute a criminal offense and that it was not in the public interest to take legal action against her.

Mr Saini said he would not authorize the Solicitor General to continue proceedings against Ms Warner as he delivered his judgment at the Royal Courts of Justice on Monday.

In written submissions, Aidan Eardley KC, representing the government, said Ms Warner had “deliberately attacked” the jurors and encouraged them to “approach their task in a certain way”.

Ms Warner’s lawyers told the court at the hearing last week that she was acting as a “human billboard” to advertise a “crucial constitutional, if used occasionally, protection against unjust prosecutions”.