I Go to Stand My Trial 597

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I leave Edinburgh this afternoon for London, to stand trial at the High Court for libel. To answer a question frequently asked, the reason I have accepted English jurisdiction is that the event was a Sky News broadcast, an English broadcaster. If it had been over my blog I would not have accepted jurisdiction as I do not accept the English claim to universal jurisdiction over internet content.

I do hope that this trial will help bring into further disrepute the immoral and draconian English libel laws. If I lose, the total costs and damages I would have to pay will potentially amount to some £350,000 – a ridiculously disproportionate result for the alleged civil offence. It would ruin me and blight the lives of my young family. Whether this can possibly be an appropriate reaction to something I said in response in a live debate, you might judge for yourselves by reading the court documents .

Thanks to the astonishing generosity of the readers of this blog, at least I am in a position to defend myself robustly. Over 5,000 readers of this blog have, with incredible generosity, contributed a total of £100,323 towards my defence to date. The libel laws are so oppressive because the sums of money involved are so astonishing. The entire massive English libel industry – courts, judges, barristers, solicitors – is taken together a major financial interest in itself, well represented in parliament. It is in all their collective financial interest that this system of oppression rolls on, which of course requires a good chance of people being found guilty to encourage more plaintiffs into the industry. I often feel this analysis from unconscious institutional self-interest is often neglected in favour of the equally valid and important argument that the libel laws are an essential tool of the wealthy and powerful to discourage free speech by the poor. Robert Maxwell, Alisher Usmanov and Jimmy Savile are three examples of people who kept their true nature hidden by constantly and aggressively threatening people with the disastrous consequences of an English libel suit.

Finally the trial starts on Tuesday 7 November at the Royal Courts of Justice in the Strand, High Court Queen’s Bench. It will last probably two and up to three days. It is open to the public. I would very much welcome anyone with the capacity to report any of what happens on social media. I am not aware of any restrictions on this, but will try to publish them here if I learn of any.

This is probably my last blogpost until after the trial, as I must concentrate now. By the time I come back online the Tories will have appointed their next Disgraced Former Defence Secretary in Waiting.

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597 thoughts on “I Go to Stand My Trial”

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  • SA

    Craig
    It is important for all of us who would like to be able to speak freely about subjects that the establishment and their pall bearers want to exclude from discussion. Free speech is too important for this method of litigation to succeed. Best wishes

  • Katherine Da Silva

    Good luck and may God bless you with enough civil defense… an angel or two on the day… how crazy our world is..!

  • N_

    Good luck, Craig!

    I hope you have some good stuff up your sleeve, because frankly your defence looks more like mitigation to me, and the enemy are unlikely to decide they no longer want to “get paid”. Any offer they make to settle is likely to be vicious.

    One point… You refer to the “unconscious institutional self-interest” of the lawyers, including judges, but I would say it’s very conscious. The Abramovich versus Berezovsky case, the world’s biggest ever civil case by amount claimed, was used like an advertisement for the Chancery Division of the English High Court. It’s essentially no less corrupt than it was in the era of Dickens. If there’s one thing these cocky creeps know, it’s what side their bread is buttered on. The side of MONEY.

  • Republicofscotland

    It’s ridiculous the amount of money involved in these cases. Andy Wightman is in a worse position than yourself, his hounder, seeks £750,000 pounds.

    Then there’s the preposterous legal fees of the Orkney four.

    The games rigged, the decks are stacked against the poorer in society, now justice costs a fortune.

  • Ian

    Good luck. The whole situation is utterly preposterous, and is used, as in your case, as a method of ruining a person who the claimant doesn’t like and wishes to crush and thereby silence. It is medieval. Whatever people think of the merits of the argument, there is no relation between that and the method with which a person with rich backers attempts to financially ruin someone whose political views he disagrees with, and wants to discourage others from expressing. It is not justice, but a travesty of justice, and the legal process, which should, of course, be at the service of protecting freedom of speech and debate.

    • N_

      Yes indeed – the action is vicious and aimed at ruining Craig, viewed as a political opponent of the racist entity called Israel. If Mr Simons is most concerned about rectifying supposed damage to his reputation, then I would be very interested to know why in his claim he blithely refers to the supposedly offending material still being available at Youtube.com, and does not appear at that time to have demanded a cease to its publication. And Youtube is owned by Google, a company with very deep pockets indeed (and which, oh look, supports the Zionazi entity).

      • Techno

        Google is American and, apart from the Americans having their right to free specch constitutionally protected, English libel law is not enforceable in the USA. There is a law that specifically blocks it called the Securing the Protection of our Enduring and Established Constitutional Heritage (Speech) Act.

  • N_

    Jake Wallis Simons says in his claim that the interview, which he says was libellous and damaging, was still available at Youtube.com at that moment. That’s FOUR AND A HALF MONTHS after it took place.

    Why didn’t he contact Youtube and ask them to take it down?

    A person is not entitled to compensation for damages that have built up because he has failed to mitigate the problem initially caused. For example if someone scratches my car and I leave it out in the weather for four and a half months until a lot of rust appears, whereas I could have got the relatively minor damage attended to on the same day had I wanted to, I would NOT win a claim for compensation for all the damage that had accrued.

    • craig Post author

      Indeed. Not to mention the fact that the posting on YouTube was solely by Sussex Friends of Israel, who have extremely close links to Wallis Simons’ solicitor Mark Lewis (google the two together, Mark Lewis and Sussex Friends of Isreal).

      • Ian

        Haha, what an utter farce. This case should be thrown out immediately by any competent judge. It is clearly a manufactured libel case, for purposes other than what it claims, and is an insult to the courts and the justice system, and as such should be judged a vexatious waste of the court’s time (and suitably punished), for bringing the courts into public disrepute.

      • Anon7

        I googled the two together and it seems ‘Sussex Friends of Israel’ just happen to quote Mark Lewis quite a lot. That doesn’t mean they are ‘closely linked’.

  • Edward Aitcheson

    ALL THE VERY BEST TO YOU CHIEF.
    WILLING THE RESULT TO BE IN FAVOUR OF YOURSELF AND FOR YOUR FAMILY.

  • Anon7

    It looks like Gavin Williamson last saw uniformed service in the Cubs. Here’s his CV:

    BSc in Social Sciences
    Student politics ‘Chair’
    Local Councillor
    MP
    PPS to 3 Ministers
    Chief Whip
    Defence Secretary

    Never a proper job in his life . Just the ticket.

    • Carl

      I believe the only time Michael Fallon saw uniformed service was the gimp costume he used to wear in the basement dungeon at Cynthia Payne’s.

  • James Chater

    Good luck and very best wishes Craig: all those who care about freedom speech and the appalling way Palestines have been treated over the years and the craven unconditional support given to Israel by Christian fundamentalists, Muslim haters et al, will be rooting for you, as will all readers of this blog. 🙂

  • freddy

    O/T
    Spain’s state prosecutor sought a European arrest warrant for former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont, now in Belgium,
    after he failed to appear at a High Court hearing on Thursday. A Spanish judge jailed eight former Catalan cabinet ministers.
    http://www.france24.com/en/20171102-spain-prosecutor-seeks-eu-arrest-warrant-sacked-catalonia-leader-puigdemont

    An arrest warrant would make it virtually impossible for Puigdemont to stand in a snap election in the wealthy region called by the Spanish government for December 21.

    Independence
    On-Hold

  • Sal Newton

    Good luck Craig. Our thoughts are with you.
    Will happily contribute a wee bit more if the need arises.

  • John Spencer-Davis

    I wish you well, Craig. I won’t wish you luck, because you shouldn’t need it. I wish you simple justice and that the court treats this case like the load of bullshit that it is.

    Sincerely, John

  • John Spencer-Davis

    You say that one cannot be sued for invective? Excellent news.

    I expect Jake Wallis Simons and his lawyer Mark Lewis will be reading this. You are a pair of non-entities. Nobody had ever heard of either of you before you decided to do your pathetic best to mess up a decent man’s life, and nobody will ever do so afterwards, except as a couple of contemptible worms. Hope you enjoy that legacy.

    Go fuck yourselves.

    Sincerely.

    • Habbabkuk

      I for one hope that they will not be reading it. Davis’s message, with its elegant ending, might be used by the prosecution as yet another example of the sort of people this blog attracts.

  • Habbabkuk

    Very much hope that as many commenters as possible will attend the trial in part or wholly. I too – perhaps together with other interested parties – shall certainly be present..

    • Geordie Bordie

      I think it’ll be a very boring legalistic discussion of words written and words said, what words mean and don’t mean, and so on.

      It’s a words fight.

      Who’s best in the words game wins.

      Nothing about ethics and humanity.

  • Jayne Venables

    Wishing you strength, energy and justice, Craig. Hugh and I are willing you to have peace of mind, after such a protracted attack on your good character and integrity. Warmest good wishes.

  • Jenni Stuart-Anderson

    Wishing you good luck and hoping people can help with the preposterous costs. I have aways admired your integrity.

  • Les Campbell

    There’s another £25 Criag. Give em hell. I’ll try my best to attend the trial. Just as an aside it’s UK parliament democracy week next week. The public can join up and contribute to the debate. However you are banned from taking part if you are critical of Parliamentary democracy or the way it operates. Unbelievable

  • fwl

    Craig approach trial with a deep breath positive inner spirit and as if you were at once entering a theatre, a casino, a war and setting sail out on to chartered but frequently changing and challenging conditions. The court room wind will change directon, fall still and pick up. Sit up straight be alert and alive to the changes and embrace the challenge. Believe that your judge is a good sort and hope that he is. Nothing is predetermined. Anything is possible.

  • Pamela Mitchell

    I am so sorry you are facing such a terrible situation and hope the worst will not happen. I wish I was in a position to help financially but at best I could only donate a few pounds. I’ll be thinking of you and hoping common sense will prevail.

    All the best,
    Pam Mitchell
    Edinburgh

  • Ba'al Zevul

    It might be worth enquiring what Lewis’ fees are for this exercise. He works for free on Israel’s behalf at least part of the time. And plainly with vindictive intent. Craig, were you invited to have rational debate in the wake of the TV debacle?

    Someone can be a Nazi, but at least [if they are taken to court] they can be a homeless Nazi,” he says. “I’m quite happy to take their homes off them. If these people would have rational debate, I would do that [instead], but they are nutters who have conspiratorial theories and I will never change their outlook.”

    ‘I always think, well, if people don’t like me, at least I’ve hit them’

    A couple of years ago Lewis became a director of UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI).

    “None of us charge for our time but we devote it to putting legal arguments forward for Israel,” he says.

    https://www.timesofisrael.com/uks-foremost-libel-lawyer-sets-his-sights-on-israels-enemies/

  • Hugh Ruiz Robert

    Good luck! I’ve only become aware of your work since the Catalunya situation blow up. As a Catalan living in the uk since my father left Spain in the 60s, your writing and observations have been very accurate and informative to the mass ignorance and blindness the exists all around.
    I wish I was in a situation where I could help you financially.
    Força!

  • Harriet Caine

    Good luck Craig. I hope there is a positive outcome for you and your family.
    With all good wishes.

  • Shatnersrug

    Craig,

    you are one of the good guys with nothing but love and kindness in your heart. I’ll give some more when I can.

    Good luck

    T

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