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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Cannabis law challenge man found guilty
Ananova
Friday 13 Jul 2001 A former charity chief has been found guilty of possessing cannabis after failing to convince jurors that the law on cannabis is "unjust" and "tyrannical". Jerry Ham, 34, who was representing himself, said that, although he had broken the law as it currently stands, the jury should ignore their oaths to try him on the evidence of the case. The father of one, who founded the homelessness charity Groundswell, was convicted at London's Southwark Crown Court. Judge Geoffrey Rivlin QC, warned the five-woman seven-man panel that they were being asked to travel a "very dangerous" path. He told jurors: "By returning a not guilty verdict you will be restoring faith in British justice." Judge Rivlin said they had taken a "solemn promise" to try the case on the evidence, which included the defendant's admission that he had just over 1.7g of cannabis resin on him when arrested in June last year. He added: "The implications of what he is asking you to say is that he is a law unto himself. He has been taking cannabis for the past 14 years and knows that it is against the law, but despite that he's asking you to say he is not subject to the law. "Unfortunately, for thousands of others who may not be as mature or responsible as he is, he may pass on the message through you that if a jury says it is right for him to take drugs, then it is right for them to do so as well. "Some of his ideas may be good, some of ideas may be bad, but it could be very dangerous for you to find yourselves led down the path of thinking that some of the ideas he expressed to you during the course of his evidence should lead you on the basis of that to think you can change the law." After just over two-and-a-half hours' deliberations - half the total length of the one-day trial, Ham, who lives on a houseboat on the River Lea, London, was convicted by a 10 to two majority of the single possession count he had denied. Passing sentence the judge said while he had tried to "play the system" that would not be held against him. He was conditionally discharged for two years.
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