98. Why Defending Juries Matters When Protest Is Criminalised with Sir Jonathon Porritt & Dr Juliette Brown

Send us a text

We sit down with Dr Juliette Brown, an NHS consultant psychiatrist and climate activist facing a retrial after a hung jury, and Sir Jonathan Porritt, a leading environmental thinker who has returned to civil disobedience, to explore how conscience, health, and the law collide in today’s UK.

Together, we unpack Defend Our Juries, the grassroots campaign centred on a simple principle: jurors have the right to acquit according to conscience. We look at how tightened protest laws, expansive uses of counterterror powers, and stricter bail and remand conditions have chilled speech and civic action—while solidarity networks have flourished to support defendants, coordinate court solidarity, and keep the public informed. When juries hear the whole story, they often reflect community standards better than any statute book; when they are denied that context, justice risks becoming mechanical and brittle.

If you care about the right to protest, jury equity, climate justice, and the health of our democracy, this conversation offers clarity.

Credits

Guests: Sir Jonathon Porritt & Dr Juliette Brown

Producer: Charlotte Janes

Soundtrack: Particles (Revo Main Version) by [Coma-Media]

Support the show

For more unmissable content from The View sign up here