When Does A Racially Aggravated Public Order Offence Become Political Satire?

[naomi24]

//A teacher who held a placard at a pro-Palestine protest depicting Rishi Sunak and Suella Braverman as coconuts has been found not guilty of a racially aggravated public order offence.

The judge ruled that Marieha Hussain’s placard was “political satire”. //

 

https://www.channel4.com/news/woman-cleared-over-coconut-placard-of-sunak-and-braverman-at-pro-palestine-rally

 

It's difficult not to think that it depends upon who's holding the placard.

[douglas9401]

My main takeaway, as they say these days, is that Symeon is a bit 'street', even for Channel 4.

The judiciary do need to take a long hard look at themselves as they fall over each other, desperate to 'do the right thing' as seen by their political masters.

It's all a delicate balancing act where brown people are involved, going forward.

Free speech has definitely left the building for most of m'lords though.

[sandyRoe]

I suppose it falls into the same category as likening someone to a lettuce.

[naomi24]

^No comparison.

[davebro3]

Can anyone tell me what the placard has got to do with anything racial or Gaza related or (indeed) what is satirical about it? I'm confused.

[naomi24]

dave, //"Coconut is a well-known racial slur which has a very clear meaning.

"You may be brown on the outside, but you're white on the inside. In other words, you're a race traitor - you're less brown or black than you should be."//

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5ydy5lnw8po

[Togo]

//When Does A Racially Aggravated Public Order Offence Become Political Satire?//

When the judge is not impartial, but is politically aligned with the accused. 

[tomus42]

It's clearly a racial slur.

[New Judge]

"When the judge is not impartial, but is politically aligned with the accused."

This case demonstrates why it is unwise to hold trials in Magistrates' Courts before a District Judge sitting alone.

No disputed allegation which turns on matters of fact should be judged by a single person.  Such trials in Magistrates' Courts should be heard before three randomly chosen lay Magistrates.

[webbo3]

Post Box Bad

Coconut good

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-45114368

[THECORBYLOON]

NJ, "No disputed allegation which turns on matters of fact should be judged by a single person." If the decision were to go to appeal, how many judges would consider it?

[douglas9401]

Can a brown person racially abuse another brown person or is this just another manufactured bonus of ethnicity in a majority white country where, as far as I know, a white person can't racially abuse another white, skin-wise, which is pretty much what all of this nonsense is about?

[ToraToraTora]

It's only an offence if the object is non Tory.

[THECORBYLOON]

I don't see why a case couldn't be brought against for example a white protestor claiming a white officer arrested a non-white person only because the officer was white and the offender wasn't.

The accusation made by the protestor would be based solely on the the colour of the officer's skin.

[newmodarmy]

Regarding douglas's query at 13:56, this news item from this week may be relevant. I'm surprised this news item wasn't raised on Answerbank.

Mr Ali was in trouble for using the P word

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62r20907yeo

[Gromit]

It is not a great poster. 
Who is holding it is a complete red herring. 
Sunak is a hindu and Suella a christian. The Gazans are muslims.  So there is no broken loyalty anywhere. Not recial motive, but the satire is very tenuous. It is neither clever or funny. A complete fail, but ridiculous that it ever got to court.

[New Judge]

"If the decision were to go to appeal, how many judges would consider it?"

Appeals from the Magistrates' Court are heard in the Crown court. The tribunal there consists of a Crown Court judge and two lay magistrates (from a different bench to the one where the defendant was convicted). The judge rules on matters of law, but each of the three has an equal say on matters of fact (meaning the judge can be overruled by the magistrates).

[douglas9401]

"the P word": puerile, pandering, pecial case, pish?

[youngmafbog]

It is very clearly racially motivated although as Gromti points out they lost it a bit in reality.

I'm sure if it was a middle aged white "far right" male holding a similar plackard the other week the "offender" would be serving 3 years porrige thanks to the two tier Starsi of Starmers.

[jno]

Post Box Bad

Coconut good

has a court ruled the former is acceptable? If not the "comparison" is meaningless.

 

[Old_Geezer]

"Satire" was an excuse. But any method of stopping this,  throwing the book at someone who did something another took offence at, is a good move.