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Press Releases & Updates 2004
8th September 2004
Jail for Peace Activist "Not in public interest" says JP
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In a sharp break with the usual practice in dealing with peace protesters, an Edinburgh magistrate today told an activist that it would not be in the public interest to jail her for refusing to pay fines for anti-Trident actions.
Roz Bullen, from Edinburgh, told the JP in the city’s district court that on principle she would not pay the fines, totaling £320, which were imposed for taking part in three blockades at the Trident bases on the Clyde. The fines had been transferred from the originating court in Helensburgh. The JP took the rare option of "remitting" the fines in effect deciding that the court would take no further action. His other options were to impose a Supervised Attendance Order, give her more time to pay, or jail her for 14 days.
Although there has been an increase in the use of Supervised Attendance Orders, peace activists who refuse to pay fines are still regularly sent to prison. This morning Adam Conway from Northumberland was given seven days in jail by Helensburgh District Court for refusal to pay and in the past 6 years Trident Ploughshares activists have spent a total of over 2000 days in UK prisons.
Roz said: "I am delighted that at last I got some justice from the courts!"
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