Steve Bartrick

Andy Burnham would have you believe that he has watered down David Lammy’s jury trial reforms and restored our ancient right to trial by jury. He has not. David Lammy’s plan to restrict our right to a jury trial remains alive, with the Courts and Tribunals Bill still making its way through Parliament. Burnham’s Government, like Starmer’s, argues that limiting the right to a jury trial is the most effective way to reduce the Crown Court backlog, despite there being no credible evidence to support that claim. This week, Lord Young of Acton, General Secretary of the Free Speech Union, proposed an amendment to the Bill guaranteeing defendants the right to elect for a jury trial in speech-related cases. Free Speech Union research has shown that defendants charged with speech-related offences are almost twice as likely to be found not guilty in a Crown Court jury trial as in a magistrates’ court. Put simply, if these plans become law, more people could be imprisoned for exercising their right to free speech. A few weeks ago, the Free Speech Union team delivered to Downing Street our petition calling on the Prime Minister to save jury trials. It had received 50,000 signatures. We must do everything we can to save the right to trial by jury and stop this assault on English liberty and free speech. Watch Lord Young below 👇

🚨 “I feel like I’m still in Iraq” — this is how bad the situation is in the UK. Asylum seekers who fled religious persecution in Islamic countries for freedom in Britain are now considering claiming asylum elsewhere, because they continue to be persecuted here for criticising Islam. Dheyaa — a former Muslim who converted to Christianity — fled religious persecution in Iraq and came to Britain. Exercising what he thought was his new-found freedom, he burned a copy of the Koran in symbolic protest against the ideology that had persecuted him. Rather than protecting his right to free speech and protest, West Yorkshire Police swiftly arrested him on suspicion of inciting religious hatred. He was then handed Orwellian bail conditions banning him from discussing religion on social media. The Free Speech Union stepped in, defending Dheyaa’s right to free speech and helping him secure the removal of those bail conditions. Earlier this year, before the Government unveiled its Islamophobia definition, FSU Case Director @BenBarryJones asked Dheyaa what he made of the prospect. Dheyaa said he felt as though he was still in Iraq, and that he would look to flee the UK. Hamit Coskun, another asylum seeker who burned a copy of the Koran in protest against the persecution he faced in Turkey, also considered fleeing to the US after he was convicted of a public order offence. Shockingly, the CPS had originally charged him for harassing “the religious institution of Islam”, long before the Government had any state-approved definition of “Islamophobia”. With the FSU’s backing, Hamit’s conviction was overturned on appeal. The CPS then tried to reinstate it at the High Court, and lost again. The last thing Britain needs is a state-approved Islamic blasphemy code. One is already operating. Watch the full interview with Dheyaa on the FSU YouTube channel 👇