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R v Debbie Hicks – Protest at Royal Courts of Justice – 2023
Andy was instructed to represent Debbie Hicks a prominent and well-known Human Rights protester who came to public attention during the pandemic for protesting against periods of national lockdown and the associated measures and campaigning for free speech.
She was best known for entering the Gloucester Royal Hospital in December 2020 to highlight the lack of patients being treated and the disproportionate actions of the Government in imposing lockdown measures The Sun
Debbie faced a total of four, entirely separate Trials at Courts in both Gloucester and London, for a range of offences including; organising a protest, breaching the coronavirus regulations by gathering in a group of more than 30 people and public order offences.
Her defence, broadly speaking, in relation to each trial centred upon arguments that both her arrest and prosecution were a disproportionate interference with her human rights – namely the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, given that she was engaging in a legitimate protest more here
Debbie was acquitted of all charges at two separate Trials at the Wimbledon and Cheltenham Magistrates Courts.
In a further two separate trials she was convicted at the Westminster and Cheltenham Magistrates Courts.
Debbie sought to overturn those convictions by bringing a Judicial Review against Westminster Magistrates Court and bringing an Appeal by way of case stated against Cheltenham Magistrates Court respectively. Permission for leave to bring a Judicial Review was successfully obtained and granted and both cases were heard at the Royal Courts of Justice on the 26th and 27th April 2023.
The Judgements in those cases can read Here and Here
The cases have been subject to considerable legal commentary Crimecast and The Law Society Gazette
Hannah Thomas Here and Merry Van Woodenberg of 2 Hare Court were instructed Counsel.
A number of cases were also reported nationally:
