A private prosecution brought by the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) against the American stand-up comedian Reginald D Hunter has been thrown out by a judge, who labelled the case "abusive" and said its true motive was to get the performer "cancelled".
Court Dismisses 'Abusive' Prosecution
On Tuesday 23 December 2025, District Judge Michael Snow at Westminster Magistrates' Court quashed the summons against the 56-year-old comedian. The judge granted an application by Hunter's defence team, bringing an end to the legal action which had accused Hunter of three counts of sending an offensive communication via X, formerly Twitter, to a user named Heidi Bachram on dates in August and September 2024.
In a damning ruling, Judge Snow stated the charity had demonstrated by its "misleading and partial" case summary and its "wilful, repeated, failure" to meet disclosure obligations that its "true and sole motive in seeking to prosecute Reginald Hunter is to have him cancelled". He added he had "no doubt that the prosecution is abusive".
A 'Lack of Candour' in the Case
The judge criticised the CAA's conduct in detail. He said the summary of Ms Bachram's social media activity was "wholly inadequate" and failed to reveal the extent of her tweets directed at Hunter in the period before his alleged offences. This omission, the judge said, misled him into believing Hunter's comments were about her faith, rather than being a response to attempts to have him 'cancelled'.
Furthermore, the court heard that the CAA had failed to inform the judge about a Charity Commission compliance investigation launched into the organisation in November 2024. Hunter's barrister, Rebecca Chalkley KC, argued this "lack of candour" was so severe it called "into question the whole juridical process". She asserted the CAA was "weaponising and using the courts for their own political agenda".
Reaction and Next Steps
Following the ruling, Reginald D Hunter posted on Instagram, "I sure hope I’m employable again!", thanking his legal team. The CAA, however, expressed deep disappointment with the decision. A spokesperson reiterated that their mission is to stand up for British Jews amid rising antisemitism and said their lawyers were examining the ruling and considering next steps.
The CAA's prosecutor, Donal Lawler, had told the hearing the charity believed it had complied with its duty of candour. Despite this, Judge Snow concluded the organisation was "seeking to use the criminal justice system, in this case for improper reasons".
Hunter is a well-known figure on the UK comedy circuit, having toured regularly and appeared on popular panel shows such as Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Have I Got News For You, and 8 Out of 10 Cats.
