When Trudi Warner, a retired social worker, was moved by the repressive measures which threatened the principle of jury equity to take a stand, holding up a sign communicating the jury’s right to make decisions of conscience, she was arrested and sent to the Old Bailey (where the same message is displayed!)

The Solicitor General, Michael Tomlinson KC, then informed Trudi that he was minded to apply for her committal to prison for doing this.

When 24 people replicated Trudi’s action in May 2023 outside Inner London Crown Court, all were referred to the Attorney General for contempt of court.

Those who took part included Quakers, health professionals, a priest, a gold medal Olympian, legal professionals and a retired police officer.  Alongside this, three people who put up posters displaying the same message along the road by Inner London Crown Court were arrested for “perverting the course of justice”.

Defend Our Juries grew from this movement of people replicating Trudi’s stand – holding signs with the law written on, and writing to the Solicitor General asking to be prosecuted as well.

After a year in which hundreds of people replicated Trudi’s action at every functioning Crown Court across England and Wales, while the Solicitor General applied for her committal to prison, the High Court ruled in her favour, with Mr Justice Saini stating:

“It is fanciful to suggest that Ms Warner’s conduct [amounted to common law contempt]. Her placard simply summarised the principle of jury equity. Her conduct was consistent with information sharing.“

Several months later, in August 2024, the threat of prison was finally over for Trudi when the new Solicitor General abandoned her predecessor’s appeal against the High Court ruling.