Craig Murray
Those charged with terrorism for supporting Palestine Action will have
no jury in trials limited to 36 minutes each, with prison sentences up
to six months. These are the plans for Starmer Courts for mass trials of
anti-Genocide protestors.
The plans are devised
by Justice Michael Snow. He is the epitome of judicial prejudice. When
Julian Assange appeared before Snow in the first hearing after being
dragged from the Embassy, Snow called Assange a “narcissist” even though
Assange had said nothing but to confirm his name, and no evidence had
been led.
Snow has now decreed that those 2,000 people charged under Section 13
of the Terrorism Act with supporting Palestine Action, will be tried in
batches of five at the rate of ten people a day – giving 36 court
minutes for each defendant. This is a farce, a spectacle of mass show
trial. The 36 minutes includes both prosecution and defence cases and
cross-examination.
At a scheduling hearing on Wednesday, one of the accused, 72 year old
Deborah Wilde, objected that these trials would be far too short to
present a proper defence.
Snow snapped back “I’m satisfied that the time is sufficient. I am
not going to give more time. Your only remedy is the High Court”.
As I am sure Snow realises, ordinary people cannot afford to go to
the High Court. The worrying thing is that the trials will be held
before judges including the appalling Snow, with no jury.
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