Maria Gallastegui seems to have won a victory against the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 section 132 Designated Area law.
Victory for Maria 6 April 06:Maria's retrial for taking part in an unauthorised demo was today thrown out of court!
Maria is one of Brian Haw's most stalwart supporters and was with Brian at his site as the 1 August demo against SOCPA was taking place on the adjacent green.
She was arrested when she went to advise someone at the demo with a megaphone that they would be arrested.
At the original trial the magistrate paid no regard to the fact that Maria was not part of the unauthorised demo and she was convicted but decided to appeal.
At the retrial at Southwark Crown Court the judges ruled there was no case to answer after the CPS had put forward its case, with very little evidence.
This case highlights what a thankless and impossible task the Metropolitan Police have in fairly and equally enforcing this stupid law.
Given the almost random way in which people are being arrested by the Police who only need "reasonable grounds for suspecting that an offence has been committed", something which is entirely at the whim of an individual Police Officer, it is not clear that this case will have any effect on the behavioir of the Metropolitan Police.
It may give the Crown Prosecution Service some pause for thought when they decide whether or not to prosecute an arrestee.
It should be pointed out that this could be used as a binding precident for future trials in Magistrates' Courts (as the Crown Courts out-rank them).
A judgement for common sense. Quick let's criminalise that immediately!