A judge has ruled that Craig Wright must return to the UK to face a contempt of court hearing after failing to provide a convincing argument for his absence. The Australian entrepreneur cited his autism and holiday plans as reasons for not attending in person, but the court found these excuses insufficient.
Patent attorney David Pearce was present at the hearing and documented the arguments put forth by Wright and his legal representative, Jonathan Hough. The Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA) criticized Wright’s reasons for wanting to avoid appearing in court, stating that wanting to spend Christmas in Indonesia should not be a valid excuse.
COPA also accused Wright of making a £900 billion claim without strong grounds for avoiding personal attendance. They pointed out that Wright had allegedly manipulated his choice of autism expert, Dr. Kiln, and that Kiln had not previously recommended remote testimony in other trials.
Wright had previously argued that his autism made it difficult for him to attend court in person and that the timing of the hearing clashed with his holiday plans. During the virtual session, he claimed to have received social media abuse and expressed concerns about being followed, requiring two bodyguards with ex-secret service experience to accompany him.
In a surprising turn of events, Wright accused the presiding judge, Mr. Justice Mellor, of bias due to his alleged affiliation with David Pearce. However, Mellor quickly dismissed these claims, stating that any interactions with Pearce were limited to official events and did not indicate bias.
The contempt of court charges against Wright stem from his alleged violation of court injunctions when he filed a lawsuit against Jack Dorsey’s Square Up and BTC Core. Despite Wright’s expert testimony in favor of remote attendance, Mellor sided with another doctor who deemed Wright’s excuses insufficient.
The hearing has been rescheduled for December 18 and will require Wright to appear in person. This development marks a significant milestone in the ongoing legal battle involving Craig Wright and the Crypto Open Patent Alliance. Stay tuned for further updates on this case.