Press Releases & Updates 2001

On 5th April Jane Tallents (43), a peace campaigner from Helensburgh, took part in a demonstration in the chamber with eleven others. They interrupted First Minister’s Questions when they dropped banners from the balcony and shouted out "The people of Scotland don’t want Trident!" The demonstration followed closely on the heels of the Scottish High Court’s controversial opinion criticising the acquittal of the Trident Three.

Representing herself Jane got prosecution witnesses to admit and defence witnesses (including MSP Margo McDonald) to confirm that the demonstration had been peaceful and that no one had been alarmed by it. She argued that her situation was similar to someone discovering a gas leak and finding that the responsible authorities are dilatory or apathetic about dealing with it. In that context an alarm has to be raised and no-one who raised it would be brought before the courts on a breach of the peace charge. For decades she had attempted to get the authorities to deal with the Trident threat but to no avail.

Sheriff McKinnon said that this was a clear case of breach of the peace. In his view MSPs were entitled to go about their business without disruption. He found Jane guilty and deferred sentence until 18th September, pending a social enquiry and a community service report.

Jane said: " It’s disappointing that once again a court has decided to treat us as criminals when we are acting as responsibly as we can. The PF based his case on the perception that Presiding Officer David Steel might have been annoyed. Put that alongside the threat to the future of the world that Trident poses and you see how loopy the Crown case was. " Margo McDonald said: " We are not saying the Sheriff is a fool, merely that the law is an ass."

The 10 other demonstrators are facing separate trials over the next few months.

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