A LEADING barrister won a Court of Appeal bid today over a contempt of court allegation from his closing speech in a Palestine Action criminal damage trial.

Rajiv Menon was accused of misleading the jury and ignoring the trial judge’s directions when representing one of six activists who invaded the British site of Israeli defence firm Elbit Systems in January.

Three Court of Appeal judges have ruled in Mr Menon’s favour, finding that trial judge Mr Justice Johnson did not have the power to refer the contempt allegation directly to the High Court.

The case has been sent back to the judge to consider the next steps.

Solicitor Jenny Wiltshire said: “This unprecedented attempt to criminalise lawyers for doing their job and representing their clients fearlessly should never be repeated.”

Mr Menon, who worked on the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry, the Hillsborough inquests and the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, had delivered a closing speech referencing a plaque at the Old Bailey setting out the right of juries to give verdicts according to their convictions.

At a retrial, four activists were found guilty of criminal damage and are due to be sentenced on June 12. Two others were found not guilty.