Tory front benchers have been raging about supposed ‘two-tier’ justice after a Labour councillor was found not guilty by a jury of encouraging violent disorder.
Ricky Jones, 58, had been on trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court after he was seen on video making reference to “disgusting Nazi fascists” while addressing a crowd in Walthamstow on 7 August last year.
Video on social media showed Jones addressing crowds in in Walthamstow, with the Labour councillor drawing his finger across his throat as he spoke.
Jones pleaded not guilty to the charges of encouraging violent behaviour, and on Friday, a jury found him not guilty. They deliberated for just over half an hour.
Despite the fact the entire protest went through the English legal system that has been a cornerstone of our society for the last 800-odd years, it has not stopped some Tory frontbenchers spouting claims of a ‘two-tier’ justice system.
In a post on X, shadow home secretary Chris Philp claimed it was “astonishing” that Jones was found not guilty, writing: “The development of two tier justice is becoming increasingly alarming.”
Meanwhile, fellow shadow minister James Cleverly wrote that the decision was “unacceptable,” adding: “Perverse decisions like this are adding to the anger that people feel and amplifying the belief that there isn’t a dispassionate criminal justice system.”
But many quite rightly asked how exactly the case demonstrated this, pointing out that it was a jury trial.
Responding to Cleverly, one person said: “Has everyone gone mad? It was a jury trial. There’s nothing anyone can do, unless they’re advocating the abolition of juries.”
Someone else pointed out to Philp that Jones had pleaded not guilty and was cleared by a jury.
“Is that why the Tories are so keen to scrap the Human Rights Act, so they can still jail people they don’t like, even when a jury finds them innocent,” they added.
Even Jacob Rees-Mogg knows any talk of ‘two-tier’ justice is nonsense here…