Why the Filton 4’s sentences are deplorable
JVL Introduction
Eminent King’s Counsel, Geoffrey Robertson is outraged at the Palestine Action activists being sentenced as terrorists, despite not being charged with terrorism. The action that led to their trial and conviction for criminal damage took place before the proscription of Palestine Action.
He reminds us of the centuries old history that led to Juries having “the power to temper law with mercy. It is among the oldest protections against an overbearing state. The difficulty is that judges seldom tell juries the power exists, leaving counsel to invoke it only obliquely” . The Judge in the case of the Filton 4 case wanted – and still wants – the Barrister who reminded the Jury of these rights to be prosecuted. The court of appeal struck down his original decision but the Judge has, nonetheless, issued new contempt proceedings against defence barrister
Incidentally, the writer is from Doughty Street Chambers, where Keir Starmer worked and, in 2002, became joint Head of Chambers. It seems Starmer’s experience there (and previously as Legal Officer at Liberty) has taught him nothing.
This article was originally published by The Guardian on Sat 20 Jun 2026. Read the original here.
You may not sympathise with the Elbit four’s methods. But you should be outraged by their treatment under the law
The jurors who found the pro-Palestine activists guilty of criminal damage had no idea their verdict would be treated as a verdict on terrorism
Loading article text…
I have no words. Horrifying. Corrupt. A frightening injustice.
Geoffrey sums up the seriousness of this.
The Filton 4 and the Court of Appeal ruling for Palestine Action seemed quite orchestrated to go hand in hand.
Political prisoners sentenced as terrorists for destroying weapons killing Palestinians. Hardly terrorism. Did they run amok and kill people or were they with courage and conscience destroying weapons killing Palestinians?There are similarities with the Apartheid Public Safety Act and the Criminal Law Amendment Act both passed during the Defiance Campaign. 8,500 people defied apartheid laws and went to jail.
How fair is the UK legal process about the same as the South African Criminal Law Act of 1953?
I am reminded of Chief Lutuli (first ANC President and later Nobel prize winner) -‘who will deny that thirty years of my life have been spent knocking in vain, patiently, moderately, and modestly at a closed and barred door? What have been the fruits of moderation? The past thirty years have seen the greatest number of laws restricting our rights and progress, until today we have reached a stage where we have almost no rights at all”.
We demand these political prisoners are set free. A show trial to make an example of them is not a fair legal process. Judges who appear to work for state ideology should not be in law! Because if it is the Filton 4 or Ulm 5 today it will be us tomorrow.