Defend Our Juries - Breaking: Court of Appeal Erodes Independence of Juries

Posted by sashimi on January 20, 2026, 6:01 pm

20 Jan 2026 · 1:09 PM UTC https://nitter.net/DefendourJuries/status/2013599876571898320 The Court of Appeal has substantially eroded the independence of juries, a centuries-old democratic safeguard against the abuse of power, by ruling in favour of a judge who threatened a jury with criminal proceedings. 1/4 -------- | (Thread) Judge Silas Reid had warned the jury: "It is only on the evidence you are able to try the case and not on conscience ... It is a criminal offence for a juror to do anything from which it can be concluded that a decision will be made on anything other than the evidence." 2/4 -------- | (Thread) This news may come as a huge shock, with the court of appeal seemingly setting jury trials back almost 400 years despite the case of Trudi Warner clearly upholding jurors’ rights in 2024. Read about Trudi’s case and the launch of Defend Our Juries: https://defendourjuries.net/trudi-warner-taking-a-stand/ 3/4 -------- | (Thread) This decision shows how Labour's attack on juries could further diminish the chances of receiving fair justice in the courts under a judge. The appellants are taking advice on an appeal to the Supreme Court. Defend Our Juries will continue to uphold the rights of jurors. 4/4