Tommy Robinson, the court case and (guffaw) 'free speech'

[Pickman's model]

Full judgement here

https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Hijazi-v-Yaxley-Lennon-summary-220721.pdf

Only it's a summary

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Only it's a summary

Summary + full here

Hijazi -v- Yaxley-Lennon - Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

Neutral Citation Number: [2021] EWHC 2008 (QB) Case No: QB-2019-001740 In the High Court of Justice Queen’s Bench Division Royal Courts of Justice 22 July 2021 Before : The Honourable Mr Justice Nicklin Between : Jamal Hijazi – Claimant – and – Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – Defendant

www.judiciary.uk

I've only skimmed both but there is quite a touching bit in one of them where the judge says he reckons the kid who attacked Jamal Hijazi is also a victim and has been used by Yaxley.

 

[existentialist]

So what happens now? If Y-L doesn't pay, does the plaintiff have to enforce the judgement, or is it just a straight contempt of court?

 

[Fozzie Bear]

None of the reports mention costs, but lots have this line 'A hearing will follow Thursday’s judgment to consider the consequences of the ruling', maybe that's when costs will be considered.

Yes that's what I figured. I'm struggling to imagine the judge being overly sympathetic given the above.

£100k on its own is a pretty big crowdfunder.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

So what happens now? If Y-L doesn't pay, does the plaintiff have to enforce the judgement, or is it just a straight contempt of court?

Not sure. Can he declare himself bankrupt?

 

[The39thStep]

Only it's a summary

Just be grateful I posted the summary up eh?

 

[The39thStep]

Not sure. Can he declare himself bankrupt?

Think he had already done so or at least said he was . House isn’t in his name etc . Just have to wait for his response, not sure if there is an appeal process or if there is how he’d fund it

 

[DaveCinzano]

He'll have to knock his coke habit on the head

Or ramp up the 'commercial' side of his hobby.

 

[two sheds]

Think he had already done so or at least said he was . House isn’t in his name etc . Just have to wait for his response, not sure if there is an appeal process or if there is how he’d fund it

Can he appeal if he's been made bankrupt? I'd thought not.

 

[steveseagull]

The Telegram grift has already started. The problem with this grift is his supporters will be giving money to a Syrian refugee

 

[existentialist]

The Telegram grift has already started. The problem with this grift is his supporters will be giving money to a Syrian refugee

View attachment 279982

I don't particularly mind if a bunch of racists have to scrape money together to give it to a brown person. In fact, I hope that their noses are regularly rubbed in it.

 

[rubbershoes]

Costs follow the event, so as Yaxley lost the case, he'll normally be ordered to pay the costs. Costs for a case like that could be £50k to £200k depending on the length of the trial etc.

If he's bankrupt, by definition he doesn't have money to pay. But if he's going to be getting money from his OnlyFans or whatever, that income can be tapped into to pay the damages and the costs. It's not straightforward to do though as Yaxley will probably set it up so the money is never in his hands, and so can't be touched

 

[editor]

LOLcakes in the oven!

Anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson has lost a High Court libel case brought by a Syrian schoolboy.

Jamal Hijazi was filmed being attacked in the playground at Almondbury School in Huddersfield in October 2018.

The English Defence League founder, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, claimed Mr Hijazi attacked "young English girls".
Mr Justice Nicklin ruled in Mr Hijazi's favour and granted him £100,000 in damages.
Shortly after the video of the incident went viral, Mr Robinson claimed in two Facebook videos that the teenager was "not innocent and he violently attacks young English girls in his school".
In the clips viewed by nearly one million people, the 38-year-old also claimed Jamal "beat a girl black and blue" and "threatened to stab" another boy at his school, allegations the teenager denies.

Tommy Robinson loses Jamal Hijazi libel case

The High Court orders the anti-Islam activist to pay a teenage refugee £100,000 in damages.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[The39thStep]

Can he appeal if he's been made bankrupt? I'd thought not.

God knows however there may be two questions or more . Is their a legal right to appeal the decision and secondly does that route require means beyond what he has .

 

[rubbershoes]

God knows however there may be two questions or more . Is their a legal right to appeal the decision and secondly does that route require means beyond what he has .

He's representing himself so an appeal wouldn't cost anything.

You need leave to appeal many court decisions. I'm not sure about defamation cases

e2a. He would need permission to appeal.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Bat on twitter flagged this up re: costs:

"Robinson was also ordered to pay the costs of the libel action, but will not have to pay any money immediately as he is currently bankrupt."

Tommy Robinson loses libel case against Syrian schoolboy

The English Defence League founder was sued by Jamal Hijazi, a Syrian schoolboy who was filmed being assaulted at his school in 2018

www.standard.co.uk

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Some good clarifications rubbershoes nice one.

Bit of a charade if he can wriggle out of it but the judgement is clear. Obviously I would like the lot paid in full...

 

[existentialist]

Some good clarifications rubbershoes nice one.

Bit of a charade if he can wriggle out of it but the judgement is clear. Obviously I would like the lot paid in full...

I imagine that this means that for the next quite a few years, Yaxley-Lemon and his financial affairs are going to be very much under scrutiny.

I wonder what happens if he continues to perpetrate libels to take advantage of the fact that he's effectively "judgement proof"?

 

[Fozzie Bear]

I imagine that this means that for the next quite a few years, Yaxley-Lemon and his financial affairs are going to be very much under scrutiny.

I wonder what happens if he continues to perpetrate libels to take advantage of the fact that he's effectively "judgement proof"?

Quite. If he is constantly successfully begging for money but remains bankrupt then questions will be asked you'd think.

And as he knows from the "filming court attendees" debacle, if you keep doing the same thing you end up with a custodial.

 

[cupid_stunt]

Update from the BBC, could be £500k in costs.

The English Defence League founder, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, claimed Mr Hijazi attacked "young English girls".
Mr Justice Nicklin ruled in Mr Hijazi's favour and granted him £100,000 in damages.
He was also ordered to pay legal costs which the BBC understands amount to about £500,000.
The final figures will be agreed and submitted to the High Court as part of forthcoming hearings to establish his means and assets.

There's going to be some sort of special judicial hearing to find out what assets he may have hidden.

Tommy Robinson loses Jamal Hijazi libel case

The High Court orders the anti-Islam activist to pay a teenage refugee £100,000 in damages.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[existentialist]

Update from the BBC, could be £500k in costs.



There's going to be some sort of special judicial hearing to find out what assets he may have hidden.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-57930901

Are we breaking bbc links now?

 

[existentialist]

Estimate of costs in that BBC item...£500k

 

[not-bono-ever]

If has good advice, there is no reason for him to ever hold any assets in his name again. He can continue this civil action performances for as long as he wants.he’s a twat but not thick. Why bother suing if you have to pay your own costs. Nice little paradigm going on there

 

[JimW]

News stories repeating his falsehoods in detail seems a bit off, couldn't they just say he made allegations.

 

[JimW]

Estimate of costs in that BBC item...£500k

Fuck him but that's gross isn't it? Justice at a hefty price.

 

[existentialist]

If has good advice, there is no reason for him to ever hold any assets in his name again. He can continue this civil action performances for as long as he wants.he’s a twat but not thick. Why bother suing if you have to pay your own costs. Nice little paradigm going on there

Of course, this presumably works the other way around.

If he is bankrupt and unable to pay costs and damages awarded to him, presumably I could - hypothetically - suggest that someone in a similar position to him likes being fucked by shaved goats while under a shower of hazelnut yogurt and pigeon shit, with goldfish nibbling at his bollocks, and there would be nothing that such a hypothetical bankrupt person could do about it...?

 

[MickiQ]

Where did the kid get the money to start suing in the first place from? Was there someone with deep pockets and a strong enough dislike of Tommy willing to stake half a million on it?

 

[Badgers]

Fuck him but that's gross isn't it? Justice at a hefty price.

Not in this case

 

[Badgers]

Where did the kid get the money to start suing in the first place from? Was there someone with deep pockets and a strong enough dislike of Tommy willing to stake half a million on it?

Most of the country and a lot of lawyers

 

[andysays]

Where did the kid get the money to start suing in the first place from? Was there someone with deep pockets and a strong enough dislike of Tommy willing to stake half a million on it?

From the BBC report

Jamal Hijazi's lawyers welcomed the judgement and praised Mr Hijazi's "courage" in pursuing the claim. Francesca Flood, from Burlingtons Legal, said: "Jamal and his family now wish to put this matter behind them in order that they can get on with their lives. They do, however, wish to extend their gratitude to the Great British public for their support and generosity, without which this legal action would not have been possible."