Opinion

I was a lawyer in the Colston Four trial. History is not being erased, but given full voice

Raj Chada was a defence lawyer in the Colston Four trial. He says the verdict is the justice system in action - not an attempt to erase history, nor a charter for vandals.

colston four

The statue of Edward Colston on display after it was fished out of a harbour. Image: Adrian Boliston/Flickr

On Wednesday 5 January 2022, four individuals were acquitted of causing criminal damage to the Edward Colston statue in Bristol. The reaction from some in the media to this verdict has been dramatic, bordering on hysterical. 

Let’s be clear on what the verdict is not. It is not a precedent.  It is not a charter for vandals. Nor is it an attempt to erase our history. It is a jury decision, based on the evidence in the case and the application of legal directions given by the most senior judge in Bristol. It is not a “perverse” verdict. The judge made clear that the defendants could have had a “lawful excuse” and that it was up to the jury decide.

It is the criminal justice system in action. 12 randomly selected people from the local area decided on guilt or innocence. It is not for headline writers in Fleet Street or government minsters to decide. It is for the jury to decide.

When Dominic Raab, the justice secretary, announced his consultation on a “British Bill of Rights” in December 2021, he made a point to referenced the right to free speech and trials by juries specifically. These would be “quintessentially UK rights” that were deserving of more protection.

Yet as we have seen in the fall out since the verdict, this government only believes in these rights if they agree with what is happening in a case – otherwise, the attack dogs are out. 

Suella Braverman’s comments that the verdict had caused confusion and so is considering referring any legal issues to the Court of Appeal, is frankly, grotesque.

The “confusion” is a clear result of the wilful misrepresentation of the verdict by her fellow Tory MPs, who have attempted to use it as a weapon in their culture war and appeal to their voter base. It was a move straight from the Donald Trump playbook, and a shameful indictment of the depths to which this government can stoop.

This case was about the specific issues relating to the Colston statue.  He was a slave trader who was chief executive of a company that transported more slaves from Africa than any other in history. He later became a Tory MP for Bristol, campaigning against the abolition of slavery. Yet a plaque on the statue proclaimed him to be a “noble and wise son of Bristol”.

Even attempts to put the statue in context foundered on the intervention of an ancient trading organisation in Bristol, the Society of Merchant Venturers, with its own links and legacy rooted in the slave trade.

It matters not that he gave to charity with his ill-gotten gains. You cannot buy your out of crimes against humanity. We would hardly say that it was acceptable to have a statue of Jimmy Savile just because he gave to charity, and we can forget about his heinous crimes.

The truth is that the council should have dealt with this issue a long time ago, and if they had, the Colston Four trial would never have happened.

Article continues below

Current vacancies...

Search jobs

And a wider truth is that Britain needs to terms with the darkness of its imperial past. Rather than being taught about the empire upon which the sun will never set, we should remember the barbarity of the slavery, the shame of colonisation, and the massacres of Amritsar or Bloody Sunday.

History is not being erased but being given full voice so that all people of colours can proclaim a shared sense of belonging.

Raj Chada, a solicitor with Hodge Jones & Allen, acted for Jake Skuse in the Colston Four trial.

Support the Big Issue

For over 30 years, the Big Issue has been committed to ending poverty in the UK. In 2024, our work is needed more than ever. Find out how you can support the Big Issue today.
Vendor martin Hawes

Recommended for you

View all
Social care is on its knees. It's no wonder public dissatisfaction is at a record high
social care
Evan John

Social care is on its knees. It's no wonder public dissatisfaction is at a record high

Two-child limit on benefits is cruel and unfair. Politicians must rethink ahead of general election
two child limit/ three kids
Martin O'Neill

Two-child limit on benefits is cruel and unfair. Politicians must rethink ahead of general election

Investment in social housing is an investment in people
John Bird

Investment in social housing is an investment in people

Some people might find my middle-aged life boring – but it's real. There's beauty in the humdrum
Sam Delaney says old people can still enjoy live music
Sam Delaney

Some people might find my middle-aged life boring – but it's real. There's beauty in the humdrum

Most Popular

Read All
Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits
Renters: A mortgage lender's window advertising buy-to-let products
1.

Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal
Pound coins on a piece of paper with disability living allowancve
2.

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal

Here's when UK households to start receiving last cost of living payments
next dwp cost of living payment 2023
3.

Here's when UK households to start receiving last cost of living payments

Strike dates 2023: From train drivers to NHS doctors, here are the dates to know
4.

Strike dates 2023: From train drivers to NHS doctors, here are the dates to know