9 October 2010 - 20:30

Judge George Bathurst-Norman was formally reprimanded when he said at the end of the trail that Israel committed war crimes when it invaded Gaza and subsequently imposed a blockade on the impoverished territory

(AhlulBayt News Agency) - Judge George Bathurst-Norman was formally reprimanded when he said at the end of the trail that Israel committed war crimes when it invaded Gaza and subsequently imposed a blockade on the impoverished territory.

The seven anti-war campaigners had been accused of sabotaging equipment at a Brighton factory which they said was making parts for Israeli warplanes.

The defendants admitted breaking into the factory, but they said they were acting to prevent Israeli regime from committing more crimes against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

"The evidence shows that those war crimes are committed against the civilian population of Gaza and against the property of its residents, including the United Nations by the Israeli forces,” Judge Bathurst said.

"It may be as you went through what I can only describe as horrific scenes, scenes of devastation to civilian population, scenes which one would rather have hoped to have disappeared with the Nazi regimes of the last war, you may have felt anger and been absolutely appalled by them, but you must put that emotion aside."

Following complaints, Judge Bathurst was investigated by the Office for Judicial Complaints.

A statement said, "A number of complaints were made about some of the observations he made during the trial and summing up. An investigation found that a number of these observations did not arise directly from the evidence at trial and could be seen as an expression of the judge's personal views on a political question. This was an error.

"The Lord Chancellor and Lord Chief Justice considered the conclusions of the investigation and HH Bathurst-Norman was formally reprimanded."

The activists were all cleared of charges of conspiring to cause criminal damage.

End item/ 159