Tommy Robinson: Activist facing contempt of court allegations

Contempt of court is a serious offence against the workings of the justice system. The government definition, external of the offence includes “disobeying or ignoring a court order” – and those found guilty can go to prison for up to two years, get a fine, or both.

In July 2021, Syrian teenager Jamal Hijazi won £100,000 in damages following a major defamation battle after Yaxley-Lennon spread false allegations accusing him of being a violent thug.

A judge ordered him not to repeat the claims, but last year the founder of the English Defence League returned to them and included them in a film distributed online to his followers.

In June, Yaxley-Lennon was ordered to the High Court to answer the allegation that he had ignored the judge’s order.

Two days before that scheduled hearing in July, Yaxley-Lennon repeated the claims to thousands of his supporters in London’s Trafalgar Square – and the following day took a Channel Tunnel train to France.

The Attorney General’s Office said that the latest contempt allegations included the showing of the film at the rally, its publication on the X platform and related instances of alleged breach of the court order in three online interviews.

A hearing over the original and new allegations will be held on October 28.

The film remains pinned at the top of the Tommy Robinson X account – and in the introduction he stands outside the High Court and accuses judges of gagging him.

This afternoon, the account was updated with a message launching a petition and accusing the judiciary of “continued persecution”.