Tommy Robinson could face jail following new contempt of court claim

Tommy Robinson could face jail after being issued with a new contempt of court claim against him following the airing of a film at a protest in central London.

Law officers allege Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is alleged to have breached a High Court order issued in 2021 barring him from repeating libellous allegations against a Syrian refugee who successfully sued him, the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) said.

It is understood that the airing of a film titled Silenced at a demonstration in Trafalgar Square last month is one of six actions claimed to have breached the injunction between June and July this year.

The application is the second issued against Robinson in recent months, following an earlier claim made in June.

A hearing for both cases will be held on October 28, with the Government website stating that those found to have committed contempt of court could be jailed for up to two years, fined, or both.

A court hearing was previously told that Robinson “knowingly” breached the order by having “published, caused, authorised or procured” Silenced in May last year, which contained the libellous allegations.

It is also alleged he repeated the claims banned by the injunction in three interviews between February and June 2023.

On Wednesday, the AGO said that Robinson was served with the latest claim, made on behalf of the new Solicitor General Sarah Sackman, on his X account after it was lodged at the High Court on August 19.

It follows Silenced being shown at a demonstration in Trafalgar Square last month, which included an introduction from Robinson standing outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, with the film also pinned to the top of Robinson’s X account.

The day after the protest, Robinson was arrested for the “frustration” of a port stop at the Channel Tunnel at Folkestone under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

Under Schedule 7, police are allowed to stop anyone passing through a UK port “to determine whether they may be involved or concerned in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism”.

The person who is detained can be held for up to six hours, is legally obliged to answer questions, and must provide the password or Pin for electronic devices, or be held to have committed a criminal offence if they refuse.

At a hearing in July, Adam Payter, representing the Solicitor General, said that it was believed that following his release on unconditional bail, Robinson then left the country and that there “was nothing to prevent him from doing so”.

Mr Justice Johnson issued a warrant for Robinson’s arrest but ordered that it not be carried out “until early October” to allow Robinson time to indicate that he would attend the next hearing voluntarily or to apply to “set aside” the warrant.

Under the 2021 court order, Robinson was barred from repeating allegations he made against Syrian refugee Jamal Hijazi.

Mr Hijazi successfully sued Robinson after the then-schoolboy was assaulted at Almondbury Community School in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, in October 2018.

After a clip of the incident went viral, Robinson made false claims, including about Mr Hijazi attacking girls in his school, leading to the libel case.

Mr Justice Nicklin ordered Robinson to pay Mr Hijazi £100,000 in damages and his legal costs, as well as making the injunction preventing Robinson from repeating the allegations he made against the then-teenager.