Complaint
The programme included as an example the video posted by Mark Meechan of his dog apparently giving a Nazi salute which had led to his being fined for breaching the Communications Act 2003. A contributor stated the judge in the case had “explicitly said context and intent weren’t relevant†(which he described as “m²¹»å²Ô±ð²õ²õâ€). A viewer complained that this misrepresented the judge’s position.
Outcome
The judge had not simply dismissed context and intent as irrelevant, but had ruled that certain material offered by the defence in that connection was irrelevant because it provided no mitigation. The programme gave a misleading impression in this respect.
Further action
The programme has been amended in light of the finding.