Jim Oldcorn (Letters, Jan 11) as a retired senior police officer should understand the British jury system - but then so should the Attorney General, though she too doesn’t appear to do so.

A jury has an absolute right to overrule an existing law or judicial direction. on behalf of a higher law without even giving their reasons.

In the early nineteenth century capital punishment was available even for petty thefts with the result that it was legal to hang a child for stealing a handkerchief. So whatever the facts of the matter a jury would simply acquit a defendant to stop that happening

Colston made his money from slavery: a hideously wicked institution. It is an offence against decency that such a man, whatever philanthropic ventures he spent his money on in his home city, should be publicly honoured there. The Colston Four have my complete support

Malcolm Pittock