More than 100 lawyers attended the protest
Photo: Jess Hurd
More than 100 lawyers staged a silent protest outside the Old Bailey last week in support of Rajiv Menon, the KC facing contempt of court proceedings for his closing speech.
According to the Legal Action Group (LAG), the gathering took place on the anniversary of Bushell’s Case in 1670, a stone memorial to which is inside the Old Bailey and which Mr Menon referenced in his speech on behalf of a Palestine Action activist.
The lawyers stood behind a banner depicting the plaque.
Edward Bushell was the foreman of a jury that refused to convict two preachers, William Penn and William Mead, for unlawful assembly despite the judge’s demands to do so. They were all sent to the Tower of London as a result, but Mr Bushell successfully brought a claim for habeas corpus and established the right for jurors to decide the verdict of those on trial.
“The jury is perjured if the verdict be against their own judgment, tho’ by direction of the Court, for their oath obliges them to their own judgment,” said the court.
In January 2026, Mr Justice Johnson held that Mr Menon’s closing speech on behalf of a Palestine Action activist disobeyed his directions not to mention certain things, while expressly making no finding about whether that conduct was deliberate.
There has been a series of rulings, the most recent of which saw the Court of Appeal stay after a High Court contempt hearing listed for late July, saying the court should first decide the KC’s challenge to its jurisdiction. This will probably take place in October or November.
LAG chief executive Sue James said: “No barrister in British legal history has faced contempt proceedings for the content of their closing speech. It creates a chilling effect and weakens the right to a fair trial. We must all get behind Rajiv and support him in his defence of this action. We are all Rajiv!”
A petition started by the Network for Police Monitoring asks justice secretary Alex Norris and Attorney General Ellie Reeves if they “want to be remembered on another plaque in the Old Bailey as those that destroyed Britain’s juries?” It has received around 43,500 signatures as of last night.
However, not all barristers have expressed sympathy with Mr Menon. Responding to LAG’s LinkedIn post about the protest, Richard Wood wrote: “You can’t just defy a judge’s ruling in court and ask a jury to ignore legal directions. If you don’t like the rulings then appeal.” Others have expressed similar views.
Last month, Mr Menon broke his silence about the case to warn about the “chilling effect” it was having on criminal defence lawyers.
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