A FORMER Winsford doctor is today risking arrest to add her voice to a protest on safeguarding juries' rights.

Dr Kathy Fallon, a retired GP, has travelled to Manchester Crown Court to join in the action as part of the Defend Our Juries campaign.

This growing public campaign aims to ensure all defendants have the opportunity to explain their actions when their liberty is at stake, including by explaining  motivations and beliefs.

As part of the protest, campaigners will line Aytoun Street between 8.45am and 10am, holding placards highlighting jury equity – the right to acquit defendants according to conscience, irrespective of a judge's directions.

Dr Fallon said: "I am here today, to share publicly available information about the rights of jurors, because our government and some judges are trying to take our rights away from us and I think this is wrong.

"As a doctor, I see and understand the way the climate crisis is causing suffering and death, not just overseas but here in the UK as well.

"This is only going to get rapidly worse, and yet those who are highlighting the problem are not allowed by some judges to give any background information about the science of the climate crisis which would enable jurors to understand their motivations and actions.

"Also, some judges are directing jurors to find a defendant guilty, and not to consider any of the relevant background information.

"This amounts to the deliberate dismantling of our 'trial by jury' system, which has served us and protected our rights for hundreds of years.

"I am here to make sure that jurors understand their rights, so that they can make good decisions in all cases."

The group could be at risk of being arrested after solicitor general Michael Tomlinson KC announced in September he would prosecute a retired social worker for contempt of court after she held a similar sign outside Inner London Crown Court in March.

In October, two young were arrested by the Met Police for doing the same thing

The demonstrations come as concern grows over measures being taken by courts banning defendants from explaining to the jury the motivation behind their actions.

In some cases, defendants have been sent down for using terms such as 'climate change' and 'fuel poverty' in court.