Belfast Palestine protesters seek trial by jury
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Aiden Carlin
Lawyers representing pro-Palestinian protesters accused of criminal damage at a Belfast supermarket have sought to have their trials heard by a jury.
Carlin Solicitors is representing several individuals who are being prosecuted in the Magistrates’ Court in connection with separate incidents at a Sainsbury’s supermarket in the Kennedy Centre in west Belfast.
The defendants are alleged to have placed “BDS stickers” promoting a boycott of Israeli products on Israeli-manufactured SodaStream products.
They were subsequently issued summonses by the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) under Article 3(1) of the Criminal Damage (Northern Ireland) Order 1977.
Carlin Solicitors has now formally requested that the cases be transferred to the Crown Court, where they would be heard before a jury, rather than proceeding summarily before a district judge alone.
As part of this challenge, the defence has submitted a request for a “case stated” to be referred to the Court of Appeal.
Solicitor Aiden Carlin said: “This legal move is about ensuring due process and the right to a jury trial. The case is expected to raise significant questions about alleged criminal damage offences within N. Ireland’s legal framework.”
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