Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson) and contempt of court

In a judgment dated 28 October 2024, Mr Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson) was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment (less 3 days) for 10 breaches of an injunction issued by the High Court. The breaches were admitted - see judgment of Mr Justice Johnson dated 28 October 2024 - Solicitor-General v Yaxley-Lennon

On 16 April 2025, Mr Yaxley-Lennon lost his appeal against the sentence - Court of Appeal (Civil Division) - Stephen Yaxley-Lennon v Solicitor-General [2025] EWHC 2732 (KB). The court comprised Lady Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill (Lady Chief Justice), Lord Justice Edis and Lord Justice Warby.

The Court of Appeal found Johnson J's judgment to be "scrupulous and impeccable". "The judge’s application of the law and his reasoning on the appropriate sanction in this case both exhibit a meticulous approach, entirely in line with the authorities he had cited."

Yaxley-Lennon is currently due for unconditional release on 26 July 2025. Were he to purge his contempts, he would be due for release at the end of May 2025.

The judgments are worth-reading for their analysis of the law of contempt, a matter which the judiciary will always (and rightly) take seriously.