• Palestine Action Acitivists jailed as "Terrorists"

    From billy bookcase@billy@anon.com to uk.legal.moderated on Fri Jun 12 20:28:52 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated

    quote:

    Charlotte Head, 30, Samuel Corner, 23, Leona Kamio, 30, and Fatema Rajwani, 21, were convicted of criminal damage in a retrial after they broke into the Elbit Systems factory near Bristol in August 2024.

    Mr Justice Johnson said their actions had aimed to influence the government and the group was sentenced on the basis the raid had a "terrorist connection".

    Corner was jailed for seven years and eight months for criminal damage and inflicting grievous bodily harm on a police sergeant. The judge said he had no justification for the "extreme and gratuitous force" used.

    Head, who drove the prison van into the compound, was sentenced to five years in
    prison, Kamio was also handed a five-year jail term, and Rajwani received a prison sentence of four years and eight months.

    The case is believed to be the first time that convictions for criminal damage have been classified as connected to terrorism.

    Due to the terrorist ruling, the offenders will not qualify for early release from prison provisions and the Parole Board will assess their risk to the public
    when it determines when they can be set free.

    :unquote

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce950111xk7o


    Although the quote doesn't specify which Govt they were seeking to
    influence, the idea that the Israeli Govt would have altered their
    policy in respect of Gaza, in response to a raid on a factory in the UK
    is clearly nonsense. Seeking to influence the UK Govt when it came
    to issuing arms manufacturing licences is maybe another matter.
    Although this isn't what HH Justice Johnson previously argued.

    However this totally ignores the point that whether there was a
    terrorist connection should have been something which was argued
    in front of a jury; allowing them to decide

    A total stitch up, IMO.


    bb








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  • From Jon Ribbens@jon+usenet@unequivocal.eu to uk.legal.moderated on Fri Jun 12 21:53:01 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated

    On 2026-06-12, billy bookcase <billy@anon.com> wrote:
    Head, who drove the prison van into the compound, was sentenced to
    five years in prison, Kamio was also handed a five-year jail term, and Rajwani received a prison sentence of four years and eight months.

    Assuming these are for "criminal damage", the sentencing appears to
    be have achieved escape velocity from the sentencing guidelines and gone exoplanetary. The "highest culpability, highest harm" starting point is
    18 months. Even allowing for this "the state can decide it's terrorism
    with no need to prove it in a jury trial" bullshit, the sentences seem completely unjustifiable. I don't think the sentencing remarks are
    available yet though.

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  • From GB@NOTsomeone@microsoft.invalid to uk.legal.moderated on Sat Jun 13 09:55:25 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated

    On 12/06/2026 20:28, billy bookcase wrote:

    However this totally ignores the point that whether there was a
    terrorist connection should have been something which was argued
    in front of a jury; allowing them to decide


    Normally, the judge decides how to apply the sentencing guidelines,
    without any help from a jury. Why do you think that deciding whether
    there's a terrorist aspect is fundamentally different from deciding that
    a sentence is in category A, B or C, say?

    You might want to compare this case with a death through dangerous
    driving case. There, the range of sentencing is 2 rCo 18 yearsrCO custody,
    and that's entirely within the behest of the judge (with the COA looking
    over his shoulder, perhaps). That's a whole order of magnitude decided
    by the judge without jury help.






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  • From Nicholas Collin Paul de =?UTF-8?Q?Glouce=C5=BFter?=@thanks-to@Taf.com to uk.legal.moderated on Fri Jun 12 22:32:57 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated

    Billy bookcase <billy@anon.com> wrote: |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
    |"[. . .] |
    |[. . .] "terrorist connection". |
    |[. . .] |
    |[. . .] gratuitous force" used. |
    |[. . .]" | |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|

    Indeed, Israel uses "gratuitous force" to terrorise innocent victims
    whom Isreal murders. All these defendants are innocent. None of these defendants used "gratuitous force". All these defendants are against
    terrorism, unlike this judge. None of these defendants is a terrorist.

    |-----------------------------------------------------------------------| |"Although the quote doesn't specify which Govt they were seeking to | |influence, the idea that the Israeli Govt would have altered their | |policy in respect of Gaza, in response to a raid on a factory in the UK|
    |is clearly nonsense." | |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|

    These show-trial convictions are nonsense.

    |-----------------------------------------------------------------------| |"Seeking to influence the UK Govt when it came |
    |to issuing arms manufacturing licences is maybe another matter." | |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|

    The Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
    Ireland repeatedly proves that it is immune from influences of ethics;
    its election manifesto; and voters who used to vote for it.

    These defendants ethically and legally resorted to vigilantism because
    these show-trial defendants cannot influence these evil, hypocritical governments.

    |-----------------------------------------------------------------------| |"Although this isn't what HH Justice Johnson previously argued." | |-----------------------------------------------------------------------|

    To be just, we should not misspell this judge's name. I am a claimant,
    and I do not like the many occurences of disrespectful persons in
    processes misspelling my name. Misspelling ++ as f or even F is a
    common mistake. This 'judge' is Hyperbole Hypocrite Injustice Johnson.
    (S. HTTP://Gloucester.Insomnia247.NL/ fuer Kontaktdaten!)

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  • From billy bookcase@billy@anon.com to uk.legal.moderated on Sat Jun 13 09:30:58 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated


    "Jon Ribbens" <jon+usenet@unequivocal.eu> wrote in message news:slrn112ovtt.5fs.jon+usenet@raven.unequivocal.eu...
    On 2026-06-12, billy bookcase <billy@anon.com> wrote:
    Head, who drove the prison van into the compound, was sentenced to
    five years in prison, Kamio was also handed a five-year jail term, and
    Rajwani received a prison sentence of four years and eight months.

    Assuming these are for "criminal damage", the sentencing appears to
    be have achieved escape velocity from the sentencing guidelines and gone exoplanetary. The "highest culpability, highest harm" starting point is
    18 months. Even allowing for this "the state can decide it's terrorism
    with no need to prove it in a jury trial" bullshit, the sentences seem completely unjustifiable. I don't think the sentencing remarks are
    available yet though.


    HH Justice Johnson appears to have somewhat changed his tune.

    Formerly he was quoted in "The Guardian" as follows

    :quote

    (A) Ruling on the appearance of a terrorist connection in March 2025,
    Johnson said: "On s1(1)(b) of the TA [Terrorism Act] 2000, [the defence barrister] Rajiv Menon KC and others strongly argued that influencing government was not the purpose of the action - the purpose of the action
    was to damage weapons and save lives - I accept that this was one motivating factor - but that does not mean that another purpose was not to damage
    property to be made available to the Israeli government and thereby
    influence the Israeli government."

    :unquote

    "and thereby influence the Israeli government.


    https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/may/12/palestine-action-activists-elbit-protest-terrorist-connection-ruling

    Which as I suggested, was possibly a rather weak argument.

    Whereas now, according to the latest "Guardian" piece on the sentencing

    quote:

    Announcing his finding of a oterrorist connectiono under section 69 of
    the Sentencing Act, ahead of deciding on the sentences, Johnson said:
    oI am sure that each defendantAs offence of criminal damage involved
    serious damage to property, was designed to intimidate the UK government
    and a section of the public [Elbit employees and those of other businesses linked to Elbit] and was for the purpose of advancing a political or ideological cause.o

    :unquote

    https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jun/12/palestine-action-activists-sentenced-terrorists-damage-elbit-systems-uk-israel

    This has now changed to " intimidate the UK government"; and the Isreali
    Govt doesn't even seem to get a mention.




    bb











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  • From JNugent@JNugent73@mail.com to uk.legal.moderated on Sat Jun 13 09:23:54 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated

    On 12/06/2026 08:28 PM, billy bookcase wrote:
    quote:

    Charlotte Head, 30, Samuel Corner, 23, Leona Kamio, 30, and Fatema Rajwani, 21,
    were convicted of criminal damage in a retrial after they broke into the Elbit
    Systems factory near Bristol in August 2024.

    Mr Justice Johnson said their actions had aimed to influence the government and
    the group was sentenced on the basis the raid had a "terrorist connection".

    Corner was jailed for seven years and eight months for criminal damage and inflicting grievous bodily harm on a police sergeant. The judge said he had no
    justification for the "extreme and gratuitous force" used.

    Head, who drove the prison van into the compound, was sentenced to five years in
    prison, Kamio was also handed a five-year jail term, and Rajwani received a prison sentence of four years and eight months.

    The case is believed to be the first time that convictions for criminal damage
    have been classified as connected to terrorism.

    Due to the terrorist ruling, the offenders will not qualify for early release from prison provisions and the Parole Board will assess their risk to the public
    when it determines when they can be set free.

    :unquote

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce950111xk7o


    Although the quote doesn't specify which Govt they were seeking to
    influence, the idea that the Israeli Govt would have altered their
    policy in respect of Gaza, in response to a raid on a factory in the UK
    is clearly nonsense. Seeking to influence the UK Govt when it came
    to issuing arms manufacturing licences is maybe another matter.
    Although this isn't what HH Justice Johnson previously argued.

    However this totally ignores the point that whether there was a
    terrorist connection should have been something which was argued
    in front of a jury; allowing them to decide

    A total stitch up, IMO.

    The (rather obviously) criminal damage is one thing. The attack upon a
    police officer with a sledge-hammer (FFS!) is quite another. The
    sentences are all justified simply on the basis of complicity in that.

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  • From The Todal@the_todal@icloud.com to uk.legal.moderated on Sat Jun 13 10:43:32 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated

    On 13/06/2026 09:55, GB wrote:
    On 12/06/2026 20:28, billy bookcase wrote:

    However this totally ignores the point that whether there was a
    terrorist connection should have been something which was argued
    in front of a jury; allowing them to decide


    Normally, the judge decides how to apply the sentencing guidelines,
    without any help from a jury. Why do you think that deciding whether
    there's a terrorist aspect is fundamentally different from deciding that
    a sentence is in category A, B or C, say?

    You might want to compare this case with a death through dangerous
    driving case. There, the range of sentencing is 2 rCo 18 yearsrCO custody, and that's entirely within the behest of the judge (with the COA looking over his shoulder, perhaps). That's a whole order of magnitude decided
    by the judge without jury help.


    Well, it seems that more than 50 lawyers may disagree with you.
    Personally I would prefer to read the judge's sentencing remarks before deciding whether I agree with eminent KC Michael Mansfield. That said, I
    think Labour Home Secretaries have a bad reputation for suppressing
    dissent, and I think Starmer ought to know better, and this case might
    be a vote-loser for Labour.

    https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jun/10/four-palestine-action-protesters-terrorists-constitutional-threat

    On Friday, the trial judge, Mr Justice Johnson, will decide whether
    there was a terrorism connection to their offence rCo which would mean a harsher sentence rCo despite the jury never having been told of this possibility.

    Mansfield is the highest-profile signatory of an open letter signed by
    more than 50 lawyers and legal experts saying such a finding would be
    rCLwrong in principlerCY.


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  • From Roger Hayter@roger@hayter.org to uk.legal.moderated on Sat Jun 13 10:19:36 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated

    On 13 Jun 2026 at 09:23:54 BST, "JNugent" <JNugent73@mail.com> wrote:

    On 12/06/2026 08:28 PM, billy bookcase wrote:
    quote:

    Charlotte Head, 30, Samuel Corner, 23, Leona Kamio, 30, and Fatema Rajwani, 21,
    were convicted of criminal damage in a retrial after they broke into the Elbit
    Systems factory near Bristol in August 2024.

    Mr Justice Johnson said their actions had aimed to influence the government and
    the group was sentenced on the basis the raid had a "terrorist connection". >>
    Corner was jailed for seven years and eight months for criminal damage and >> inflicting grievous bodily harm on a police sergeant. The judge said he had no
    justification for the "extreme and gratuitous force" used.

    Head, who drove the prison van into the compound, was sentenced to five years
    in
    prison, Kamio was also handed a five-year jail term, and Rajwani received a >> prison sentence of four years and eight months.

    The case is believed to be the first time that convictions for criminal damage
    have been classified as connected to terrorism.

    Due to the terrorist ruling, the offenders will not qualify for early release
    from prison provisions and the Parole Board will assess their risk to the
    public
    when it determines when they can be set free.

    :unquote

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce950111xk7o


    Although the quote doesn't specify which Govt they were seeking to
    influence, the idea that the Israeli Govt would have altered their
    policy in respect of Gaza, in response to a raid on a factory in the UK
    is clearly nonsense. Seeking to influence the UK Govt when it came
    to issuing arms manufacturing licences is maybe another matter.
    Although this isn't what HH Justice Johnson previously argued.

    However this totally ignores the point that whether there was a
    terrorist connection should have been something which was argued
    in front of a jury; allowing them to decide

    A total stitch up, IMO.

    The (rather obviously) criminal damage is one thing. The attack upon a
    police officer with a sledge-hammer (FFS!) is quite another. The
    sentences are all justified simply on the basis of complicity in that.

    A clever theory but specifically excluded by the findings of fact in the original trial and by the law. An intent to use violence against people was found not to have been a factor in the sledge hammer wielder's action so the others present could not have been complicit in an intent that did not exist.
    I get that you don't like these defendants but your accusation of complicity in violence against the person was specifically excluded by the court.
    --

    Roger Hayter

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  • From GB@NOTsomeone@microsoft.invalid to uk.legal.moderated on Sat Jun 13 12:05:07 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated

    On 13/06/2026 10:43, The Todal wrote:
    On 13/06/2026 09:55, GB wrote:
    On 12/06/2026 20:28, billy bookcase wrote:

    However this totally ignores the point that whether there was a
    terrorist connection should have been something which was argued
    in front of a jury; allowing them to decide


    Normally, the judge decides how to apply the sentencing guidelines,
    without any help from a jury. Why do you think that deciding whether
    there's a terrorist aspect is fundamentally different from deciding
    that a sentence is in category A, B or C, say?

    You might want to compare this case with a death through dangerous
    driving case. There, the range of sentencing is 2 rCo 18 yearsrCO custody, >> and that's entirely within the behest of the judge (with the COA
    looking over his shoulder, perhaps). That's a whole order of magnitude
    decided by the judge without jury help.


    Well, it seems that more than 50 lawyers may disagree with you.
    Personally I would prefer to read the judge's sentencing remarks before deciding whether I agree with eminent KC Michael Mansfield. That said, I think Labour Home Secretaries have a bad reputation for suppressing
    dissent, and I think Starmer ought to know better, and this case might
    be a vote-loser for Labour.

    https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jun/10/four-palestine-action- protesters-terrorists-constitutional-threat

    On Friday, the trial judge, Mr Justice Johnson, will decide whether
    there was a terrorism connection to their offence rCo which would mean a harsher sentence rCo despite the jury never having been told of this possibility.

    Mansfield is the highest-profile signatory of an open letter signed by
    more than 50 lawyers and legal experts saying such a finding would be rCLwrong in principlerCY.

    That's a different point, though? There are eminent lawyers who think
    the judge decided incorrectly, and that can be corrected on appeal, if necessary. That's very different to suggesting that the entire system is
    wrong and such decisions should be made by a jury.

    By the way, if this is the case involving someone attacking a police
    officer with a sledgehammer, I'm surprised the sentences are not far
    heavier.

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  • From billy bookcase@billy@anon.com to uk.legal.moderated on Sat Jun 13 12:48:30 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated


    "GB" <NOTsomeone@microsoft.invalid> wrote in message news:110j5tt$2q4c7$1@dont-email.me...
    On 12/06/2026 20:28, billy bookcase wrote:

    However this totally ignores the point that whether there was a
    terrorist connection should have been something which was argued
    in front of a jury; allowing them to decide


    Normally, the judge decides how to apply the sentencing guidelines, without any help from a jury. Why do you think that deciding whether there's a terrorist aspect is fundamentally different from deciding that a sentence is in category A, B or C, say?

    You might want to compare this case with a death through dangerous driving case. There, the range of sentencing is 2 - 18 years' custody, and that's entirely within the behest of the judge (with the COA looking over his shoulder, perhaps). That's a whole order of magnitude decided by the judge without jury help.

    I may give a fuller answer in due course.

    For the moment I will cinfine myself to the obserrvation that in assigning
    a terrorist motive to the offences the Judge was thereby categorisng
    the offences as poliical; and those sentenced as being polical; prisoners.
    To some dgeree at least

    Now for a very short time the then Secretary Of State for NI William
    Whitelaw agreed to categorise IRA prisoners convicted of terrorist offences
    as SCS "Special Category Status" prisoners; who were *afforded certain priviledges* as a result; such as not wearing prison uniform. (1)

    Howver this concession was later withdrwan by a Labour SoS
    which was the cause of the subsequent blanket protests
    and hunger strikes.

    The intention being that from that point on SCS i.e poliical prisoners
    would be treated *exactly the same" as ordinary prisoners
    convicted of criminal offences.

    Whereas by virtue of these new measures political prisoners* are
    deliberately *being treated worse than ordinary criminals*


    bb

    * To say nothing of the widening of the categorisation. Unlike
    in the case of normal sentenciong criteria

    1
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Category_Status



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  • From Nick Odell@nickodell49@yahoo.ca to uk.legal.moderated on Sat Jun 13 15:41:13 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated

    On Fri, 12 Jun 2026 21:53:01 -0000 (UTC), Jon Ribbens <jon+usenet@unequivocal.eu> wrote:

    On 2026-06-12, billy bookcase <billy@anon.com> wrote:
    Head, who drove the prison van into the compound, was sentenced to
    five years in prison, Kamio was also handed a five-year jail term, and
    Rajwani received a prison sentence of four years and eight months.

    Assuming these are for "criminal damage", the sentencing appears to
    be have achieved escape velocity from the sentencing guidelines and gone >exoplanetary. The "highest culpability, highest harm" starting point is
    18 months. Even allowing for this "the state can decide it's terrorism
    with no need to prove it in a jury trial" bullshit, the sentences seem >completely unjustifiable. I don't think the sentencing remarks are
    available yet though.

    From another perspective, isn't this judgment now absolutely
    certainly, definitely, assuredly going to end up at the very least in
    the Court of Appeal but most likely in the Supreme Court? Where,
    together with the matter of the designation of Palestine Action as a
    terrorist organisation, the whole thing should be thrashed out once
    and for all?

    Might not the Judge in this case have made these sentencing decisions
    to provoke such a debate in the Supreme Court? Over the pond, some of
    those whom the POTUS determines are "activist judges" appear to be
    making judgments precisely to ensure that they get bumped up to their
    own supreme court in order, it would appear to me, to armour plate
    some of the protections in their own law against rogue action by their
    own executive.

    Nick

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  • From Nicholas Collin Paul de =?UTF-8?Q?Glouce=C5=BFter?=@thanks-to@Taf.com to uk.legal.moderated on Sat Jun 13 17:25:45 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated

    "exercising judicial power may affect others beyond the immediate
    parties to the litigation.24 [. . .]

    Judges and commentators alike contend that judicial impartiality is
    fundamental to the publicrCOs confidence in a judiciary: its legitimacy rCyrests on the perception of judicial impartialityrCO.26 Lord Denning
    observed that rCy[j]ustice must be rooted in confidence: and confidence
    is destroyed when right-minded people go away thinking: rCyThe judge was biasedrCO.rCO27 [. . .]

    [. . .]

    In 2016, a French tax lawyer and AI-specialist published data on his
    website about French immigration judgesrCO decision-making trends on applications for asylum. The data highlighted wide discrepancies
    between individual judges on whether to grant asylum seekers asylum in
    France. Some judges rejected asylum seekersrCO claims nearly 100% of the
    time while others, even colleagues on the same courts, had very low
    rejection rates.44 This probative research, a prototype judicial
    analytics tool of sorts, raised concerns of a lack of judicial
    impartiality on the French bench.45 It also provoked criticism by some
    French judges, who challenged this interpretation of the data and
    expressed concern that judicial independence had been compromised by
    naming individual judges.46 The official response was sweeping: the
    French parliament passed Article 33 of the Justice Reform Act in 2019, effectively banning judicial analytics tools in France altogether
    where they are designed to evaluate, analyse, compare or predict the
    behaviour of individual judges, the first such ban in the world.47 The
    maximum sentence for this offence is five years in prison.48 [. . .]

    [. . .]

    [. . .] the then UK Home Secretary David Plunkett using a newspaper
    column to opine that rCyitrCOs time for judges to learn their place.rCO58"
    says
    Dr Brian M. Barry, "JUDICIAL IMPARTIALITY IN THE JUDICIAL COUNCIL ACT 2019: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES", [2022] "Irish Judicial Studies Journal" Vol 6(1),
    HTTPS://JudicialStudiesJournal.Ie/assets/uploads/documents/3.%20Brian%20Barry%20Final.pdf

    Footnotes are:
    "26 Cassandra Burke Robertson, rCyJudicial Impartiality in a Partisan
    ErarCO (2018) 70 Florida Law Review 739, 739.
    27 Metropolitan Properties Co (FGC) Ltd v Lannon (1969) 1 QB 577,
    599.
    [. . .]
    44 The data was published on a website, Supralegem.fr, which has since been closed down. Some of the data
    from this analysis remains available online. Supra Legem, rCyThe
    Impartiality of Some French Judges Undermined by Machine LearningrCO (19 December 2016) <https://medium.com/@supralegem/the-impartiality-of-some-judges-undermined-by-artificial-intelligence-c54cac85c4c4#.yfo64554t>
    accessed 12 January 2022.
    [. . .]
    48 Aside from the issue of litigation analytics, it is also important
    to note that the law also effectively prohibits scholarship on the
    French judiciary altogether, insofar as individual judges and their
    decisions must not be identified or analysed. This is a regressive,
    overbroad, and wholly disproportionate step, and a disservice to the
    ideals of transparent, better-quality justice.
    [. . .]
    58 David Plunkett, rCyItrCOs Time for Judges to Learn Their PlacerCO News of the World (23 February 2003)."

    (S. HTTP://Gloucester.Insomnia247.NL/ fuer Kontaktdaten!)

    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Jon Ribbens@jon+usenet@unequivocal.eu to uk.legal.moderated on Sat Jun 13 19:11:39 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated

    On 2026-06-13, Nick Odell <nickodell49@yahoo.ca> wrote:
    On Fri, 12 Jun 2026 21:53:01 -0000 (UTC), Jon Ribbens
    <jon+usenet@unequivocal.eu> wrote:

    On 2026-06-12, billy bookcase <billy@anon.com> wrote:
    Head, who drove the prison van into the compound, was sentenced to
    five years in prison, Kamio was also handed a five-year jail term, and
    Rajwani received a prison sentence of four years and eight months.

    Assuming these are for "criminal damage", the sentencing appears to
    be have achieved escape velocity from the sentencing guidelines and gone >>exoplanetary. The "highest culpability, highest harm" starting point is
    18 months. Even allowing for this "the state can decide it's terrorism
    with no need to prove it in a jury trial" bullshit, the sentences seem >>completely unjustifiable. I don't think the sentencing remarks are >>available yet though.

    From another perspective, isn't this judgment now absolutely
    certainly, definitely, assuredly going to end up at the very least in
    the Court of Appeal but most likely in the Supreme Court? Where,
    together with the matter of the designation of Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation, the whole thing should be thrashed out once
    and for all?

    Might not the Judge in this case have made these sentencing decisions
    to provoke such a debate in the Supreme Court? Over the pond, some of
    those whom the POTUS determines are "activist judges" appear to be
    making judgments precisely to ensure that they get bumped up to their
    own supreme court in order, it would appear to me, to armour plate
    some of the protections in their own law against rogue action by their
    own executive.

    That would be a very unwise move with the current SCOTUS, if the
    judge is trying to bolster protections *against* the executive.

    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From JNugent@JNugent73@mail.com to uk.legal.moderated on Sat Jun 13 22:28:19 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated

    On 13/06/2026 12:48 PM, billy bookcase wrote:
    "GB" <NOTsomeone@microsoft.invalid> wrote in message news:110j5tt$2q4c7$1@dont-email.me...
    On 12/06/2026 20:28, billy bookcase wrote:

    However this totally ignores the point that whether there was a
    terrorist connection should have been something which was argued
    in front of a jury; allowing them to decide


    Normally, the judge decides how to apply the sentencing guidelines, without >> any help from a jury. Why do you think that deciding whether there's a
    terrorist aspect is fundamentally different from deciding that a sentence is >> in category A, B or C, say?

    You might want to compare this case with a death through dangerous driving >> case. There, the range of sentencing is 2 - 18 years' custody, and that's
    entirely within the behest of the judge (with the COA looking over his
    shoulder, perhaps). That's a whole order of magnitude decided by the judge >> without jury help.

    I may give a fuller answer in due course.

    For the moment I will cinfine myself to the obserrvation that in assigning
    a terrorist motive to the offences the Judge was thereby categorisng
    the offences as poliical; and those sentenced as being polical; prisoners.
    To some dgeree at least

    Does anyone disagree with the assessment that the criminals were
    politically motivated?

    Is there some controversy about the meaning of the word "political"?

    Now for a very short time the then Secretary Of State for NI William
    Whitelaw agreed to categorise IRA prisoners convicted of terrorist offences as SCS "Special Category Status" prisoners; who were *afforded certain priviledges* as a result; such as not wearing prison uniform. (1)

    Howver this concession was later withdrwan by a Labour SoS
    which was the cause of the subsequent blanket protests
    and hunger strikes.

    The intention being that from that point on SCS i.e poliical prisoners
    would be treated *exactly the same" as ordinary prisoners
    convicted of criminal offences.

    Whereas by virtue of these new measures political prisoners* are deliberately *being treated worse than ordinary criminals*


    bb

    * To say nothing of the widening of the categorisation. Unlike
    in the case of normal sentenciong criteria

    1
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Category_Status





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  • From JNugent@JNugent73@mail.com to uk.legal.moderated on Sat Jun 13 22:06:18 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated

    On 13/06/2026 11:19 AM, Roger Hayter wrote:
    On 13 Jun 2026 at 09:23:54 BST, "JNugent" <JNugent73@mail.com> wrote:

    On 12/06/2026 08:28 PM, billy bookcase wrote:
    quote:

    Charlotte Head, 30, Samuel Corner, 23, Leona Kamio, 30, and Fatema Rajwani, 21,
    were convicted of criminal damage in a retrial after they broke into the Elbit
    Systems factory near Bristol in August 2024.

    Mr Justice Johnson said their actions had aimed to influence the government and
    the group was sentenced on the basis the raid had a "terrorist connection". >>>
    Corner was jailed for seven years and eight months for criminal damage and >>> inflicting grievous bodily harm on a police sergeant. The judge said he had no
    justification for the "extreme and gratuitous force" used.

    Head, who drove the prison van into the compound, was sentenced to five years
    in
    prison, Kamio was also handed a five-year jail term, and Rajwani received a >>> prison sentence of four years and eight months.

    The case is believed to be the first time that convictions for criminal damage
    have been classified as connected to terrorism.

    Due to the terrorist ruling, the offenders will not qualify for early release
    from prison provisions and the Parole Board will assess their risk to the >>> public
    when it determines when they can be set free.

    :unquote

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce950111xk7o


    Although the quote doesn't specify which Govt they were seeking to
    influence, the idea that the Israeli Govt would have altered their
    policy in respect of Gaza, in response to a raid on a factory in the UK
    is clearly nonsense. Seeking to influence the UK Govt when it came
    to issuing arms manufacturing licences is maybe another matter.
    Although this isn't what HH Justice Johnson previously argued.

    However this totally ignores the point that whether there was a
    terrorist connection should have been something which was argued
    in front of a jury; allowing them to decide

    A total stitch up, IMO.

    The (rather obviously) criminal damage is one thing. The attack upon a
    police officer with a sledge-hammer (FFS!) is quite another. The
    sentences are all justified simply on the basis of complicity in that.

    A clever theory but specifically excluded by the findings of fact in the original trial and by the law. An intent to use violence against people was found not to have been a factor in the sledge hammer wielder's action so the others present could not have been complicit in an intent that did not exist.
    I get that you don't like these defendants but your accusation of complicity
    in violence against the person was specifically excluded by the court.

    Craig and Bentley.

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  • From Nick Odell@nickodell49@yahoo.ca to uk.legal.moderated on Sun Jun 14 00:26:53 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated

    On Sat, 13 Jun 2026 19:11:39 -0000 (UTC), Jon Ribbens <jon+usenet@unequivocal.eu> wrote:

    On 2026-06-13, Nick Odell <nickodell49@yahoo.ca> wrote:
    On Fri, 12 Jun 2026 21:53:01 -0000 (UTC), Jon Ribbens >><jon+usenet@unequivocal.eu> wrote:

    On 2026-06-12, billy bookcase <billy@anon.com> wrote:
    Head, who drove the prison van into the compound, was sentenced to
    five years in prison, Kamio was also handed a five-year jail term, and >>>> Rajwani received a prison sentence of four years and eight months.

    Assuming these are for "criminal damage", the sentencing appears to
    be have achieved escape velocity from the sentencing guidelines and gone >>>exoplanetary. The "highest culpability, highest harm" starting point is >>>18 months. Even allowing for this "the state can decide it's terrorism >>>with no need to prove it in a jury trial" bullshit, the sentences seem >>>completely unjustifiable. I don't think the sentencing remarks are >>>available yet though.

    From another perspective, isn't this judgment now absolutely
    certainly, definitely, assuredly going to end up at the very least in
    the Court of Appeal but most likely in the Supreme Court? Where,
    together with the matter of the designation of Palestine Action as a
    terrorist organisation, the whole thing should be thrashed out once
    and for all?

    Might not the Judge in this case have made these sentencing decisions
    to provoke such a debate in the Supreme Court? Over the pond, some of
    those whom the POTUS determines are "activist judges" appear to be
    making judgments precisely to ensure that they get bumped up to their
    own supreme court in order, it would appear to me, to armour plate
    some of the protections in their own law against rogue action by their
    own executive.

    That would be a very unwise move with the current SCOTUS, if the
    judge is trying to bolster protections *against* the executive.

    I have even less of a grasp on US law than I have on UK law (when did
    that ever stop me opening my mouth?) but my impression has been that
    recent high profile decisions can be categorised either as the SC
    determining that an executive decision is wrong in law (tariffs come
    to mind as an example) or that the law itself is wrong and needs to be corrected (eg. Roe v. Wade reversal).

    I sense that some judges are making decisions in some cases where they
    are convinced that the executive is wrong in law in a manner that is
    more robust than they absolutely need to be in order to solve a
    particular matter at hand in order that their ruling or a future
    Supreme Court ruling nails down any wiggle room that the executive
    might be tempted to explore after the case. The attempt to bar
    applicants of nationalities from the executive's (failed) no-travel
    list from receiving asylum, citizenship, etc etc decisions, for
    instance.

    Nick

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  • From billy bookcase@billy@anon.com to uk.legal.moderated on Sun Jun 14 10:02:04 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated


    "GB" <NOTsomeone@microsoft.invalid> wrote in message news:110j5tt$2q4c7$1@dont-email.me...
    On 12/06/2026 20:28, billy bookcase wrote:

    However this totally ignores the point that whether there was a
    terrorist connection should have been something which was argued
    in front of a jury; allowing them to decide


    Normally, the judge decides how to apply the sentencing guidelines, without any help from a jury. Why do you think that deciding whether there's a terrorist aspect is fundamentally different from deciding that a sentence is in category A, B or C, say?

    Apologies for the atrocious spelling in my previous answer; bur I was
    half way out of the door at the time; I usually save and then send which
    evokes a spellcheck but forgot.

    One first objection is the catch-all nature of the definition. Basically
    almost all demonstrations in the UK, whether by climate activists
    or Palestine supporters are intended to influence the government
    in some way or other,

    So that anyone taking part in any such demonstration, is potentially
    laying themselves open to being charged with a terrorist related
    offence.

    Presumably, in future at least this is a possibility - or in fact a
    "certainty" which will laid before juries by Defence Counsel.
    on behalf of their client

    "If convicted my client will be branded as a terrorist with all the impediments, that that entails; despite only having committed a relatively trivial offence solely as a matter of conscience; in protest at
    this Government's immoral behaviour."

    So at least now, people will know what to expect

    Which in theory at least could rebound on the Govt - just so long
    as jury trials are retained.

    Speaking of sentencing guidelines one of the first criteria to be taken into account is the "seriousness of the offence ". Thus allowing judges a degree
    of discretion.

    However

    As has already been pointed out, given that almost all demonstrations
    are intended to influence the Govt in some way, the judge has *no room
    for discretion at all*. Its a straightforward binary question.
    All are equally guilty; and seriousness doesn't even come into it.

    So just to sum up.

    Anyone taking part in almost any demonstration in the UK in future
    is laying themselves open to the possibility of (being fitted up with, or ) being charged with a terrorist related offence; in the sentencing of which
    the Judge will have no discretion but to sentence them to a term of imprisonment entailing much harsher conditions than would apply to
    a common criminal convicted of an equivalent crime committed solely for gain.


    bb


    snip









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  • From billy bookcase@billy@anon.com to uk.legal.moderated on Sun Jun 14 10:27:03 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated


    "Nick Odell" <nickodell49@yahoo.ca> wrote in message news:uspq2l5r9941tjuhe8nupuqdjl9epl79c9@4ax.com...
    On Fri, 12 Jun 2026 21:53:01 -0000 (UTC), Jon Ribbens <jon+usenet@unequivocal.eu> wrote:

    On 2026-06-12, billy bookcase <billy@anon.com> wrote:
    Head, who drove the prison van into the compound, was sentenced to
    five years in prison, Kamio was also handed a five-year jail term, and
    Rajwani received a prison sentence of four years and eight months.

    Assuming these are for "criminal damage", the sentencing appears to
    be have achieved escape velocity from the sentencing guidelines and gone >>exoplanetary. The "highest culpability, highest harm" starting point is
    18 months. Even allowing for this "the state can decide it's terrorism
    with no need to prove it in a jury trial" bullshit, the sentences seem >>completely unjustifiable. I don't think the sentencing remarks are >>available yet though.

    From another perspective, isn't this judgment now absolutely
    certainly, definitely, assuredly going to end up at the very least in
    the Court of Appeal but most likely in the Supreme Court?

    As I understand it at least, the Judge had no real choice in the matter.

    Without actually having checked the wording, AIUI at least almost
    anyone engaged in any sort of demonstration designed to influence
    the Govt, as most of them are, is now laying themselves open to such
    a charge

    Again I assume this is a matter of definition as defined in the
    actual legislation; possibly quite deliberately. Rather than
    something that can be corrected by the Court as the result of
    a successful Appeal.

    It would basically require amended legislation; which this Govt
    would be in no great hurry to push through.

    Although as always, I stand to be corrected on this.


    bb


    Where,
    together with the matter of the designation of Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation, the whole thing should be thrashed out once
    and for all?

    Might not the Judge in this case have made these sentencing decisions
    to provoke such a debate in the Supreme Court? Over the pond, some of
    those whom the POTUS determines are "activist judges" appear to be
    making judgments precisely to ensure that they get bumped up to their
    own supreme court in order, it would appear to me, to armour plate
    some of the protections in their own law against rogue action by their
    own executive.

    Nick





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  • From Jeff Gaines@jgnewsid@outlook.com to uk.legal.moderated on Sun Jun 14 10:21:34 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.legal.moderated

    On 12/06/2026 in message <110hmm2$2e9a1$1@dont-email.me> billy bookcase
    wrote:

    quote:

    Charlotte Head, 30, Samuel Corner, 23, Leona Kamio, 30, and Fatema
    Rajwani, 21,
    were convicted of criminal damage in a retrial after they broke into the >Elbit
    Systems factory near Bristol in August 2024.

    [snipped]


    I am trying to ensure I understand properly the situation surrounding the "Filton Four". Is the following an accurate summary:

    The four people recently sentenced following the break in at Filton were charged with criminal damage. Terrorist charges had been considered by the
    CPP who decided not to proceed with them.

    They and their barristers were prohibited from mentioning several matters relating to their motivations to the jury:

    In the context of Gaza they could not mention the word "genocide," Elbit Systems' role in the conflict, or the intention to save lives.
    In the context of jury equity they were forbidden from telling the jury
    about their absolute right to acquit defendants according to their
    conscience.
    In the context of the "terrorism connection":
    The jury and the public were kept in the dark that the judge could later
    treat their criminal damage convictions as a terrorist connection for sentencing.

    The four were convicted of criminal damage but the judge (alone) decided
    they should be sentenced as if they were terrorists, leading to longer sentences with no parole. This even though the CPP did not pursue
    terrorist charges.

    It is reported Mr Justice Johnson said their actions had aimed to
    influence the government and the group was sentenced on the basis the raid
    had a "terrorist connection".

    I am not sure if that is correct, many lobbying groups exist to influence
    the government and they are not treated as terrorists.

    Any corrections welcome!
    --
    Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
    Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his friends for his
    life.
    (Jeremy Thorpe, 1962)

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