YEREVAN (CoinChapter.com) — Today is the contempt of court hearing for Craig Wright at the Royal Courts of Justice in London. Wright, the Australian computer scientist who claimed to be Satoshi Nakamoto, faces allegations of violating a court injunction issued earlier this year.
Court Previously Discredited Wright’s Satoshi Claims
In earlier hearings, the court found that there was “overwhelming evidence” that Craig Wright was not the author of the Bitcoin whitepaper or the creator of Bitcoin. Judge Mellor ruled that Wright had lied repeatedly and forged documents “on a grand scale” to support his claims.
As a result, the court issued an injunction in July preventing Wright from filing further lawsuits based on his claims of being Satoshi Nakamoto. The Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA) sought this order to protect Bitcoin developers from costly litigation initiated by Wright.
Despite the injunction, Wright filed a £911 billion lawsuit against Block, a company owned by Jack Dorsey, earlier this month.
COPA Pushes for Jail Time Over Court Violations
At today’s hearing, COPA’s lawyer Jonathan Hough KC argued that Wright’s recent actions breach the court’s injunction and amount to contempt of court. Hough requested a sentence of 18 months in prison, with an additional term of 6 months if Wright refuses to withdraw the ongoing lawsuit.
Judge Mellor noted that Wright’s new case targets Bitcoin developers and exchanges who were already involved in previous litigation. Hough further stated that Wright’s amended claims still reference “database rights” in Bitcoin, continuing to violate the injunction.
The courtroom heard that Wright’s latest legal arguments remain unclear. COPA asserted that his lawsuits disrupt Bitcoin development and abuse the legal system.
Wright Appears Via Video Link From Singapore
Wright did not attend the hearing in person, joining instead by video link from Singapore. He cited travel costs as the reason for his absence. This comes despite Wright’s history of funding large-scale lawsuits.
Observers criticized Wright’s actions. @Beautyon_ highlighted his misuse of the legal system, stating that Wright had “harmed other people and threatened them” through his litigation.
On the same note, @tuftythecat pointed out Wright’s repeated attempts to navigate around the court’s orders, calling it a clear breach.
