UK ex-barrister sentenced for blog posts: 'Nothing wrong with being antisemitic’

British police officers stand watch at crime scene

A disbarred UK barrister who posted antisemitic material on a blog was sentenced to a nine month community order by the  Southampton Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, the Crown Prosecution Service announced.

New Forest lawyer Ian Robert Millard, 67, posted disparaging remarks about Jews and antisemitic conspiracy theories from May 2021 to April 2022. Millard contended that he was exercising his freedom of speech.

“There is nothing wrong with being antisemitic,” Millard is alleged to have said in one post, in another saying England would “be a great deal better” with more antisemitism. He also suggested that the Holocaust was “fake history.”

CPS and the Hampshire Constabulary said that they went through a year’s worth of blog posts, but only five antisemitic posts were found to be in violation of the 2003 Communications Act, which makes it a crime to send messages that are “grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character” over a public communications network.

Silhouettes of mobile users are seen next to logos of social media apps Signal, Whatsapp and Telegram projected on a screen in this picture illustration taken March 28, 2018. (credit: REUTERS/DADO RUVIC/ILLUSTRATION/FILE PHOTO)

Silhouettes of mobile users are seen next to logos of social media apps Signal, Whatsapp and Telegram projected on a screen in this picture illustration taken March 28, 2018. (credit: REUTERS/DADO RUVIC/ILLUSTRATION/FILE PHOTO)

UK police: Millard was “not simply expressing his freedom of speech”

Law enforcement argued that Millard was “not simply expressing his freedom of speech, but was engaged in a campaign of antisemitic hate.” The former attorney was found guilty in November.

“Antisemitism has a devastating impact on individuals and communities – we won’t hesitate to bring offenders of hate crime to justice,” said CPS Wessex Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor Sophie Stevens. It is particularly shocking that a former barrister, who is meant to engage the law in the pursuit of justice, would express such flagrant hatred. We will continue to prosecute antisemitic offenders and bring the perpetrators of any hateful crimes to justice.”

CPS said it had prosecuted several cases of antisemitism since October 7, including a man for shouting abuse at a Jewish man in Stamford Hill, and two teenagers who damaged poppy wreaths at Rochdale cenotaph while using antisemitic language.

Leon Kraiem contributed to this report.