Campaigners were trying to get the comedian cancelled

A judge has thrown out a case against Reginald D Hunter brought by the Campaign Against Antisemitism.

District Judge Michael Snow was scathing about the campaign group, saying their  ‘true and sole motive in seeking to prosecute Reginald Hunter is to have him cancelled. I have no doubt that the prosecution is abusive.’

He also slated the activists for ‘misleading and partial way in which it summarised its application and its wilful, repeated failure to meet its disclosure obligations,’

Hunter, 56, had been accused of three counts of sending an offensive communication to pro-Israeli campaigner Heidi Bachram,  in August and September last year.

When the case was first filed, in July, Hunter wrote that the Campaign Against Antisemitism was ‘dragging me to court for jokes online’, forcing him to fight a private prosecution ‘for my comedy’. A crowdfunded raised £58,000 to cover his legal fees.

According to reports by the Press Association, Judge Snow said the summary of Ms Bachram's tweeting in the case summary was ‘wholly inadequate… It did not reveal the extent of her tweets directed against Reginald Hunter in the period immediately preceding the complaints

.’The summary misled me into believing that his comments were addressed to her involvement with the Jewish faith as opposed to his response to attempts that were being made to have him "cancelled".’

The case came after Hunter clashed with antisemitism campaigners Mark Lewis and Mandy Blumenthal at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe. The pair heckled an anti-Israel joke, with the response reportedly turning the gig ugly, with the couple telling the media how the audience hounded them out.

Hunter later said he ‘regretted’ what happened at the ‘unfortunate incident’, but stopped short of an apology. He added: ‘I am staunchly anti-war and anti-bullying. I regret any stress caused to the audience and venue staff members.’

He was cleared of committing any hate crime following an investigation by Police Scotland. 

In today’s case, heard at Westminster Magistrates Court, Hunter’s lawyer, Rebecca Chalkley KC told the judge: ‘The CAA are weaponising and using the courts for their own political agenda and not just in this case.’

Published: 23 Dec 2025