Attorney Will Chamberlain explains, “The judge in Tommy Robinson’s case, Geoffrey Marson, pulled a neat trick today. He threw him in jail for 13 months, and banned anyone in the UK from talking about it.”

Here’s how it was done.

Read:

The judge in Tommy Robinson's case, Denise Marson, pulled a neat trick today. She threw him in jail for 13 months, and banned anyone in the UK from talking about it. A thread on how she did it. (h/t @nickmon1112)#FreeTommy #FreeTommyRobinson pic.twitter.com/an8elg3OlB — Will Chamberlain (@willchamberlain) May 25, 2018

ADDENDUM: I got the name of the judge wrong. It's Geoffrey Marson, not Denise Marson. Apologies!https://t.co/9zY9qAFrE2 — Will Chamberlain (@willchamberlain) May 25, 2018

A year ago, Tommy was convicted of Contempt of Court for filming 4 defendants who were alleged to have gang-raped a young woman. His sentence was suspended.https://t.co/3bADBM7rN6 — Will Chamberlain (@willchamberlain) May 25, 2018

Tommy argued that he didn't intend to derail the trial. Under UK law, that doesn't matter – there is *strict liability* for *criminal* contempt charges. pic.twitter.com/bVLJGPz02d — Will Chamberlain (@willchamberlain) May 25, 2018


We don't have a ton of detail on the court proceedings today, but it sounds like a similar set of facts to a year ago – Tommy was livestreaming outside the courthouse, arrested, his suspended sentence was revoked and some additional time was tacked on.https://t.co/YTwPQJdtjp — Will Chamberlain (@willchamberlain) May 25, 2018

The really interesting question – how on earth the judge could BAN REPORTING on the trial – shows yet again how insane UK law is. Judge Marson's order cites section 4(2) of the 1981 Contempt of Court act justifying the reporting ban. pic.twitter.com/0IMfQdSoku — Will Chamberlain (@willchamberlain) May 25, 2018

This provision allows the court to ban TRUE and ACCURATE reporting about a criminal case. Once the judge issues this order, publishing TRUE and ACCURATE accounts of the case is a CRIME. (Excerpt from here: https://t.co/mc6U4XrzAw) pic.twitter.com/dUaBIkAJzk — Will Chamberlain (@willchamberlain) May 25, 2018


Nominally, this flowchart describes the process which courts are supposed to use before implementing reporting restrictions. From my reading, the argument FOR reporting restrictions is that they help make the trial stay fair and prevent jury contamination. (Same source as above) pic.twitter.com/ZNlvIyVxjQ — Will Chamberlain (@willchamberlain) May 25, 2018

This rationale wouldn't fly in the United States – as @Timcast put it, thank God for the First Amendment. (Also due thanks – the Supreme Court in New York Times v. United States)https://t.co/QJw2E8JKM9 — Will Chamberlain (@willchamberlain) May 25, 2018

And we should be thankful. Courts, and the Crown, are abusing reporting restrictions like crazy. In one case, the Court banned truthful reporting on a terrorism trial *after the trial was over*. pic.twitter.com/WpbTTUzWBw — Will Chamberlain (@willchamberlain) May 25, 2018

Similarly, it looks like Judge Marson is abusing her authority here. Let's go back to the order. It put reporting restrictions on *Tommy's* case. Not the case he was covering. The restriction ends when the case he was *covering* ends – but the restriction is NOT on that case. pic.twitter.com/8hLPZhVw1B — Will Chamberlain (@willchamberlain) May 25, 2018

Read that Orwellian language. Reporting on Tommy's imprisonment is "necessary to avoid a substantial risk of prejudice to the administration of justice in *these* proceedings." That makes no sense! There's no jury trial for contempt of court! He's already been sentenced! — Will Chamberlain (@willchamberlain) May 25, 2018

This is an incredible abuse of reporting restrictions, which already are a noxious instrument in the hands of the UK government. Judge Marson convicted Tommy of Contempt of Court, and banned anyone from reporting on – or criticizing – her actions. Abuse. Of. Power. — Will Chamberlain (@willchamberlain) May 25, 2018

The UK Government has arrogated to itself enormous, discretionary power – just like with the Terrorism Act. And as @Lauren_Southern, @Martin_Sellner, and @BrittPettibone can attest, the UK government now abuses that power to silence people it doesn't like. https://t.co/FUBUewXYr1 — Will Chamberlain (@willchamberlain) May 25, 2018