I leave Edinburgh this afternoon for London, to stand trial at the High Court for libel. To answer a question frequently asked, the reason I have accepted English jurisdiction is that the event was a Sky News broadcast, an English broadcaster. If it had been over my blog I would not have accepted jurisdiction as I do not accept the English claim to universal jurisdiction over internet content.
I do hope that this trial will help bring into further disrepute the immoral and draconian English libel laws. If I lose, the total costs and damages I would have to pay will potentially amount to some £350,000 – a ridiculously disproportionate result for the alleged civil offence. It would ruin me and blight the lives of my young family. Whether this can possibly be an appropriate reaction to something I said in response in a live debate, you might judge for yourselves by reading the court documents .
Thanks to the astonishing generosity of the readers of this blog, at least I am in a position to defend myself robustly. Over 5,000 readers of this blog have, with incredible generosity, contributed a total of £100,323 towards my defence to date. The libel laws are so oppressive because the sums of money involved are so astonishing. The entire massive English libel industry – courts, judges, barristers, solicitors – is taken together a major financial interest in itself, well represented in parliament. It is in all their collective financial interest that this system of oppression rolls on, which of course requires a good chance of people being found guilty to encourage more plaintiffs into the industry. I often feel this analysis from unconscious institutional self-interest is often neglected in favour of the equally valid and important argument that the libel laws are an essential tool of the wealthy and powerful to discourage free speech by the poor. Robert Maxwell, Alisher Usmanov and Jimmy Savile are three examples of people who kept their true nature hidden by constantly and aggressively threatening people with the disastrous consequences of an English libel suit.
Finally the trial starts on Tuesday 7 November at the Royal Courts of Justice in the Strand, High Court Queen’s Bench. It will last probably two and up to three days. It is open to the public. I would very much welcome anyone with the capacity to report any of what happens on social media. I am not aware of any restrictions on this, but will try to publish them here if I learn of any.
This is probably my last blogpost until after the trial, as I must concentrate now. By the time I come back online the Tories will have appointed their next Disgraced Former Defence Secretary in Waiting.
BBC News managed not to report on Patel secretly offering British taxpayer’s money to fund the IDF at 6 o’clock.
If she isn’t sacked in the next couple of days it will astonishing.
U.S.A. helicopters seen evacuating ISIS leaders from al-Mayadeen before arrival of Syrian Army
http://sana.sy/en/?p=117386
Media and local sources from al-Mayadeen said that U.S.A. helicopters have transported ISIS leaders from al-Mayadeen to an unknown destination shortly before the Syrian Arab Army reached the city’s outskirts.
This is Eastern Syria, well, they will not be taking them to Iraq, Jordan?
It appears to be good news on Craig case going by other comments that’s good.
Freddy.
Here it is, right from the horse’s mouth Qatar’s former prime minister spills his guts about how his country worked with Saudi Arabia and Turkey under the direction of the United States – meaning then the Obama Administration – to funnel arms and money to jihad terrorists in Syria.
Gulf nations were arming jihadists in Syria with the approval and support of US and Turkey.
Qatar’s former prime minster lets the worst kept secret in the world out.
https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2017/11/03/bombshell-revelation-us-saudi-culpability-creating-isis-ignored-mainstream-media-trump.html
freddy
IS leaders are needed for the next stage of war against Myanmar Uzbekistan etc. The indoctrinated, slave-sex, Saudi-dollar infatuated psychopaths , of IS have either been obliterated or rescued for future use. Anybody who believes the promises of reform by crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman does not understand Islamist Jihadist politics. Islamists have extended the appropriate use of lying in the event of imminent war to lying through their teeth all of the time and on all occasions. Nobody should ever listen to the decadent perpetrators of slaughter and family murder. Democratic leaders fear the day they will have to surrender power. Clan despots fear nobody. They have always and will always lie through their teeth. Liars can by definition not be Muslim. The Saudi royals have finally realised that they will never be able to control the flow of information about their crimes outside their own sordid little borders. They have to pretend to be normal, civilised little Westerners, which they learned to be in their student days in college in the south of England. Fortunately for us and for the whole world Islam cannot be advanced through lying, political intrigue or brutal war. The project of Madman bin Sleazebag is a desperate attempt to turn the tide of world disgust at Saudi behaviour in Syria and it will never succeed as a plan.
It was David Cameron who first introduced the idea of using UK Foreign Aid for peace-keeping projects. This was so blatantly a pretext for giving Israel permission to control Syria after the war that Priti Patel can go openly to Israel and initiate the Cameron plan without May’s government giving it a second thought. Of course they knew what where and why she was in Israel. The whole confederacy of May’s government and its war criminal predecessors ought to be locked up in Guantanamo Bay
Thank You giyane
I have Been Crying this for years Cameron ,, Then the Rest May Ect
Radio 4 did mention it, Stu. And the report that the FCO had told Patel that we ‘don’t do’ funding IDF activities, humanitarian or not, on Golan. She’s bang to rights, I think, and would, as someone said, be fired if the May regime wasn’t in such dire straits.
No, Ishmael, this isn’t a response to yours. If you have to interject random snippets from the newspapers, talk to yourself or practise your compositional skills, please don’t step on other peoples’ comments to do so. And weren’t you leaving? Several times?
Whoops. That was a reply to this:
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2017/11/go-stand-trial/comment-page-6/#comment-706536
And I see Ishmael/ Michael Norton/Freddy’s latest offerings have gone. So that reference can go too.
Something very odd going on here. Freddy’s post definitely disappeared and, regrettably, reappeared. Is the moderator supping an aged and celebratory* Glen Grant to excess or do we have a software problem?
*If Craig’s happy, I’m happy…
It’s The Beauty Of The Blog Ba’al Methinks.. Im On Nevermind and His Wonderful Laday’s Norfolk Wine.. WINBIRRI
Mods
If MP Priti Patel wants to go hobnobbing with politicians in Israel that is entirely up to her and up to them. For her to discuss the UK giving charity to the IDF is a gross insult to the intelligence of the UK people. She should be moderated, she should be sacked, and if she isn’t immediately then we the UK people will tear down parliament and the institutions of our democracy with our bare hands if necessary.
I have an allergy to lying. It brings me up in a rash. listening to this Tory government denying all knowledge of Priti Patel’s discussions about giving charity to the IDF means that our government is on a different page to the people.
We will not be subdued by threats of bankruptcy or threats to our freedom of speech. We will not be silenced by citizens of another country nor will we intimidated by journalists who use our traditions of free speech who in turn refuse our own right to free speech.
We will most definitely not allow our spokesmen , like Craig Murray, to be silenced on the war-crimes of Israel UK and the US, or any other country. We delivered a clear message to the Uk government that we regard the EU as a tyrannical organisation which is undemocratic and not authorised by us to engage in proxy warfare in the Middle East.
We do not authorise our own country to engage in proxy warfare and we are sick and tired of them doing so.
Boris Johnson should be instantly dismissed for supporting Al Qaida in parliament, for pretending not to know the meaning of his statement to Tehran that a UK citizen was teaching journalism. If he doesn’t know what that means to citizens of Iran, he most definitely should not hold the office of foreign secretary.
Mrs May has deliberately mis-represented the Referendum to mean the ending of free trade and free movement. We the UK people like free trade and free movement . What we don’t like is our government colluding with war-criminals Obama and the EU in destroying the ancient civilisations of the Middle East.
Anything Mrs May’s unspeakable government does that opposes the clearly spoken message from the UK people will get undone in due course, but the undoing will be bloody and revolutionary. We will not be repeatedly hijacked into war by the interests of a third party, viz Israel. Nor will we tolerate being blatantly lied to by our politicians as they have done today when they told us that Priti Patel’s activities were not endorsed previously by Boris Johnson and Mrs May.
I am glad you are enjoying the best wine of this year, Brian, the best in the world, so the blind judging went, and what a good occasion you’ve chosen.
I shall have a wee wiski night cap.
I’m with many here concerned about the quality of services we can expect from Priti Patel, a minister who chooses not to inform her colleagues, or, seemingly as far as we all can see, has had her meeting planned by a CFI lord and sundry assisting, just as one does on a private holiday.
BoJo should also resign, for endangering the life of a British Iranian born woman, wife and mother, Mrs. Radcliffe by talking out of his backside, being ill informed, sorry uninformed of the real circumstances of her …HOLIDAY… meeting her family, with her young child.
Maybe Boris should be given some time to spend with his very own young children so he understands what iy means to see the family.
Madrid to keep Article 155 on stand-by in Catalonia after the 21st of December election.
Direct rule from Madrid appears to be on the cards, if the vote doesn’t favour the fascist regime.
Meanwhile, and I had to read this twice to believe it. The fascist Spanish Guardia Civil all 10,000 of them, who are deployed in Catalonia are to receive decorations of the Order of the Knights for their recent role in Catalonia.
You know the role, the beating, tear gassing and shooting of pensioners mothers with children and peaceful voters exercising their democratic rights to do so.
The actual decoration is the Royal Order of Knights of San Cristobal. The rewarding of violent fascist behaviour, leaves me gobsmacked.
http://www.elnacional.cat/ca/politica/policies-enviats-catalunya-condecorats-orde-cavallers_209658_102.html
Can anybody be gobsmacked after the suggestion by the Tories to give charitable aid to the IDF? The Tories are unremittingly and unredeemably bad and mad.
Well British politican’s (Balfour et al, Balfour’s nickname used by his political opponents was Bloody Balfour) paved the way for the creation of the state of Israel, no one should be surprised by the support they now retain at Westminster.
Theresa May celebrated the centenary of the Balfour Declaration, with a slap up meal with Netanyahu and several prominent Israeli’s very recently.
However not one Palestinian offical was invited to the banquet, yet the declaration affected millions of Palestinian’s and has done so ever since, a crystal clear sign of prejudice.
Yes agreed
Ros
How nice to hear the Guardia Civil are to receive the decoration of the Royal Ordure of Shites of San Cristobal.
So thoroughly deserved.
Well done to Craig for standing his ground. Here’s others doing likewise.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xtcr2c9qcqU
nevermind
November 7, 2017 at 13:29
Do we know when courts break for lunch?
…………………………………………………
Times are libel to change
Fuck Them
Who? Those who deleted all the comments?
Jeremy Corbyn aide David Prescott suspended from job
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-41912847
A key aide to Jeremy Corbyn, and the son of former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, has been suspended from his job.
David Prescott is being investigated by the Labour leader’s office after he was suspended a few days ago, the BBC understands.
It comes amid widespread allegations of misconduct at Westminster.
No formal complaint has been made to the Labour Party, which declined to give a reason for the suspension.
From the Ministry of Truth:
“The UK has reported its highest levels of happiness since 2011, according to data released by the Office for National Statistics.
“The well-being figures are the first to be based on a full year of data since the European Union referendum, during which the country has experienced high levels of political turmoil…”
“Britain has also been hit by multiple terrorist attacks…”
“However, people have remained upbeat in spite of this, scoring (out of 10) 7.5 for happiness, 7.7 for life satisfaction, and 7.9 reported that they feel what they do in life is “worthwhile”. There was also no significant change in reported levels of anxiety, which scored 2.9 out of 10.”
“Interestingly, the improvements in happiness, life satisfaction, and worthwhileness were driven by England, with no changes in reported personal well-being in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland”
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/the-uk%E2%80%99s-happiness-levels-have-hit-a-high-despite-brexit-and-terrorist-attacks/ar-AAuxxn4?li=AAmiR2Z&ocid=spartandhp
Who paid for Patel’s excusion?
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2017/nov/08/priti-patel-secret-israel-meetings-politics-live
At 11.12, Peter Beaumont:
In a text message to the Guardian, Major Jonathan Conricus, asked whether the Israeli military had facilitated the visit, declined to answer. But he added:
She visited Israel. Please refer to the MFA [ministry of foreign affairs] for details, since they organised the visit.
Another one bites the dust
Priti Patel quits over Israel meetings row
BBC