[JURIST] A British county court has given a UK anti-war activist until May 5 to pay £580 (about $1,017 USD) in back taxes he's withholding to protest the war in Iraq or face seizure of his property. Robin Brookes, a member of the Peace Tax Seven [advocacy website], told the court in a hearing earlier this week "I don't want to break the law, and I want to contribute to education and health, the law and the police force, but I cannot pay for a government's killing machine." Estimating that 10 percent of taxes funds the military, he began withholding the amount after the March 2003 invasion.

In October 2003 he appeared in court for the same issue [file report], and government officials later seized £550 (about $963 USD) in January 2004, telling him he could express his displeasure at the ballot box. Peace Tax Seven is awaiting a ruling about its members' legal entitlement to withhold taxes after arguing their case in the Court of Appeal earlier this month. The Independent has more.