British climate protester will not be charged for telling jurors to vote their conscience

LONDON (AP) — A climate protester who could have been jailed for up to two years for holding a sign outside a courthouse reminding jurors of their right to acquit defendants cannot be charged with contempt of court, a London judge ruled Monday .

Trudi Warner was arrested last March and charged with ‘deliberately attacking’ jurors before a trial of climate activists from the group Insulate Britain.

She held a sign outside the Inner London Crown Court that read: “Jurors, you have the absolute right to acquit a defendant according to your own conscience.”

Supreme Court Justice Pushpinder Saini said her act was not a crime because jurors can reach a verdict based on their conscience and Warner had not interfered with jurors.

“It is fanciful to suggest that Ms. Warner’s conduct falls into this category of contempt,” Saini said. “At no time did Ms. Warner assault, threaten, block, accost or impede anyone’s access to the court.”

The ruling comes as hundreds of environmental activists have been arrested for peaceful demonstrations in Europe and Britain, where tough new laws are restricting the right to protest.

While Britain’s conservative government says the laws stop extremist activists from damaging the economy and disrupting daily life, critics say civil rights are being eroded without adequate oversight from lawmakers or protection from the courts.

Hundreds of people followed Warner’s lead and held similar signs outside courthouses to protest what they said undermined the foundations of a jury trial. At least 20 “Defend Our Juries” protesters have been interviewed by police, although no one other than Warner has been charged so far.

Warner welcomed the ruling, noting it came on Earth Day, and said she was relieved.

“When you see a letter that says it’s the department versus Trudi Warner, and you have a 133-page indictment, it’s intimidating,” she said.