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A naturalist A man who claimed judges in the North may be biased towards his “lifestyle” will have his legal challenge heard manchesterafter a high court The judge rejected his plea to transfer it London,
Neil Cox is challenging Chester Crown Court’s dismissal of his appeal against a public order offense conviction.
His lawyers had argued that the trial in London would be quicker and less susceptible to unconscious bias.
In a judgment published on Tuesday, Mrs Justice Hill said: “Counsel submit that naturalismWhich is at the heart of the matter, both conscious and unconscious biases can arise.
“It is said that the hearing of the case in London may be less likely to provoke public outcry against the lifestyle of the Appellant, if his case is heard in a smaller court centre/jurisdiction.
“The Appellant is also said to be concerned that transferring the case to Manchester could lead to a greater potential for unconscious bias on the fairness of the outcome.”
He added: “I do not agree with these arguments. The Civil Justice Center in Manchester is one of the largest court centers in the UK.
“Its judges and staff are well-accustomed to deal with any sensitive situations that may arise as a result of public attendance at hearings.
“There is no reasonable basis for suggesting that a judge sitting in the Administrative Court in Manchester is more likely to have an unconscious bias towards naturists than a judge sitting in the Administrative Court in London. Many Administrative Court judges sit in both courts.”
Mr Cox was convicted at Crewe Magistrates Court of the public order offense committed in Macclesfield, Cheshire in August 2023.
In written arguments, his lawyers also argued that there was only one other case raising issues of public extremism, and it had been tried in London, giving that court experience in dealing with the issue.
But the judge disagreed, saying that the previous case was almost 12 years old and both the judges involved were now retired.
Mrs Justice Hill said: “I have concluded that this claim should be transferred to the Northern Territory for administration and determination at the Manchester Civil Justice Centre.”