Peace activist Juliet Lamont says she will continue "banging the drum for justice" in Palestine after escaping a criminal conviction over a rooftop protest at a weapons manufacturing business.
The 55-year-old from the Northern Rivers pleaded guilty in the ACT Magistrates Court on Tuesday, August 4, to a single count of trespassing.
Special Magistrate Lucinda Wilson spared Lamont a criminal conviction, placing her on a six-month good-behaviour order instead.
Lamont was one of eight protesters who entered the premises of defence contractor Electro Optic Systems (EOS) in July 2025.
The protesters said the demonstration was intended to draw attention to what they describe as the company's links to the Israeli military.
Police found Lamont and the other protesters on the rooftop about 6am carrying banners and chanting, the court heard.
A short time later, Lamont locked herself to a railing with another protester before police eventually removed her.
On Tuesday, defence barrister Bernard Collaery urged the court to impose the same outcome received by six other people involved in the 2025 protest, who had their matters dismissed without a recorded conviction.
Mr Collaery said Lamont's interstate criminal history related solely to protest activity and involved no violence, vandalism or threats to public safety.
However, while the prosecutor acknowledged Australians had a right to protest, he argued Lamont had crossed the line into criminal offending.
"In the defendant's situation, certainly people have the right to protest ... they don't have a right to break the law," he said.
The prosecutor said Lamont appeared to have had a greater level of involvement than some of the other protesters, requiring police to spend additional time removing her from the roof.
He said Lamont's criminal record suggested a pattern in her behaviour and submitted that specific and general deterrence was warranted to reflect in her sentence.
During sentencing, Ms Wilson accepted Lamont's actions were "morally motivated".
"You are a person motivated by your strength of conviction and morals, and you are taking a stand on a number of issues, in this case the perceived genocide in Gaza as you described it in your affidavit," she said.
"I do find the offence was committed under extenuating circumstances because you hold a deep conviction about the crimes that you consider being committed in Gaza.
"You have taken huge personal risks to address that, probably the least of which was getting on the roof of the EOS building."
While Ms Wilson said the court cannot endorse breaking the law to pursue moral convictions, she accepted Lamont "did not go there to harm any person or damage any property, but to send a message about peace".
Speaking to The Canberra Times after the sentencing, Lamont welcomed the outcome.
"Everything that I have ever done has been peaceful, non-violent and I have never vandalised anything," she said.
Lamont's court appearance follows her participation in the Global Sumud Flotilla, which attempted to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.
She alleges Israeli forces seized the vessel in international waters and detained those on board.
Lamont has also alleged she was tortured and raped while in Israeli detention.
She has provided statements to the Australian Federal Police, and her allegations have also formed part of material submitted to the International Criminal Court.
The ACT court heard on Tuesday that Lamont was saving money to travel to the International Criminal Court to give evidence.
The Australian Federal Police has also confirmed it is investigating the allegations raised by Lamont and the other 10 Australian flotilla participants.
Outside court, Lamont said she had no intention of stepping away from activism, sharing plans to take on a larger leadership role with the flotilla.
"I'd go back on a flotilla tomorrow if I thought it was going to change things ... but would another flotilla work?
"We really have to go back to our core beliefs and make sure that we're really strategic with our next action.
"But we're still banging the drum for justice for Palestine."
