All imagery - credit - Jo Syz for Not Guilty

"Not Guilty - Film 1” is inspired by the truth and power of the words spoken by the 'HSBC Nine' to the jury. Words that persuaded 12 ordinary people to reach a verdict of not guilty. The first of the Not Guilty short films sets out to capture their motivations and stories, which led them to the courtroom - and amplify the messages they gave to the jurors out into the wider public.

Recent legal changes inhibit juries from hearing crucial evidence related to climate breakdown, with judges even banning the mention of ’the mass loss of life from climate change’ relied on by the HSBC Nine in courtrooms. These alarming developments demand attention.

https://youtu.be/I3S0Xr1SOgY?si=xQN6h8o82meCZje1

The Mission:

To amplify the truth, reason and love spoken in our courtrooms by peaceful environmental defenders and expose the shocking response of the UK state judiciary to vilify and silence them.

The Context:

Events have been building to a head. Protestors have been vilified, criminalised and silenced. But juries have been finding them Not Guilty. The UK State and judiciary have been fighting back in moves that are shocking those who are paying attention.

In the coming weeks a retired social worker goes on trial in the Royal Courts of Justice for holding up a sign and doctors are threatened with prison and being struck off for raising the alarm to the threat to life caused by climate change.

At some point very soon this will become mainstream news.

FILM 1 - Why did nine women break the windows of HSBC’s UK headquarters?

This project was inspired by the truth and power of the words spoken by the HSBC Nine to the jury. Words that persuaded 12 ordinary people to reach a verdict of not guilty. The first of our Not Guilty short films sets out to capture their motivations and stories, which led them to the courtroom - and amplify the messages they gave to the jurors out into the wider public.

Since filming for it, our project has become much more than that as events continue to unfold. Our forthcoming films ask:

• Why are good people compelled to break the law and risk their liberty?
• Why is the UK state so determined to silence the protestors and the juries?

On 18 March 2024, following an application from the Attorney General, the Court of Appeal ruled that in future cases, juries would not be allowed to hear evidence of the mass loss of life from climate breakdown, relied on by the HSBC Nine.

“You should be deeply concerned about the government’s response to climate activists calling attention to the climate emergency is not to act against the climate emergency but to change the law to make protesting illegal”

Jess Agar

Recent changes to the law now prevent juries hearing environmentalist’s defences and motivation. Even using the words ‘Climate Change’ can now be enough to send a defendant to prison after one judge banned those words being spoken in his courtroom. This has happened largely under the radar of the press and media - and yet these are dangerous steps that lead towards an ever weaker democracy - all in the face of encroaching climate and ecological collapse.

FILM 2 : Trudi Warner

Film 2 will be released on the 17th April to coincide with the eve of the Government’s application to commit Trudi Warner to prison.

Trudi Warner, a retired social worker, held up a sign (reminding jurors that they have a right to use their own conscience in reaching a verdict) outside a court, and for that she is being prosecuted for contempt of court at the Royal Courts of Justice. Since her arrest in March 2023 hundreds of people have done the same thing in support of the legal principle established in 1670. In September over 200 people were outside 25 crown courts and in December 500 people were outside 50 courts. There was international press coverage. It is intended that in the week before her hearing, people will be outside every crown court in the country.