Craig Wright faced a major blow in the courtroom today as the UK High Court delved into fines and injunctive relief in his case against the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA). The proceedings, detailed in What The Finance’s live updates on of the crypto community.
Jonathan Hough KC highlighted the significant chilling effect that Wright’s actions had on cryptocurrency development, noting that five developers had distanced themselves from the projects due to Wright’s aggressive legal strategies. He emphasized the need for substantial injunctive relief to prevent Wright from perpetuating his claims of being Satoshi Nakamoto and to safeguard the integrity of the crypto ecosystem.
Hough detailed Wright’s past prosecutions against individuals such as Hodlonaut and Peter McCormack, describing Wright’s actions as vindictive attempts to destroy the lives of those who questioned his legitimacy. What The Finance reported was that the judge appeared sympathetic to these arguments, with Hough stressing the need for injunctive relief to prevent Wright from further spreading his false claims and from pursuing litigation based on his fraudulent claims.
In a nearly full courtroom, with notable absences from Wright’s team, including Wright himself, who is “on the road,” Hough explored legal precedent and made a compelling case for a strong injunction. This included preventing Wright from claiming to be Satoshi Nakamoto in any public forum and requiring the removal of such claims from the Internet. Judge Mellor has indicated a willingness to issue an extraordinary response, suggesting the possibility of severe sanctions, including prison sentences.
According to the Perjury Act 1911, the maximum sentence in the UK is seven years and a fine.
“If any person lawfully sworn as a witness or interpreter in a judicial proceeding voluntarily makes any material statement in that proceeding, which he knows to be false or does not believe to be true, he shall be guilty of perjury, and shall, in case of conviction against him, be liable of hard labor for a term not exceeding seven years, or of imprisonment with or without hard labor for a term not exceeding two years, or of fine or of both such penal labor or of imprisonment and fine. “
The proceedings also reportedly touched on Wright’s failure to provide an address for legal services, suggesting attempts to evade liability. Hough called for criminal prosecution of Wright and his associate Stephan Matthews for misrepresentation, buttressed by video evidence of Wright discussing the penalties for perjury.
What The Finance reported that Wright’s legal team attempted to oppose the compensation sought under COPA, arguing that it was unnecessary and unprecedented. However, the judge’s position suggested that Wright’s sustained campaign of deception deserved a rigorous judicial response, potentially marking a significant point in the ongoing saga surrounding the true identity of Bitcoin’s creator.
