The rule of law?

The Guardian report the quite staggering news that:

'Five activists who caused £180,000 damage to an arms factory were acquitted after they argued they were seeking to prevent Israeli war crimes.

The five were jubilant after a jury found them not guilty of conspiring to cause criminal damage to the factory on the outskirts of Brighton.

The five admitted they had broken in and sabotaged the factory, but argued they were legally justified in doing so.'

So the accused admit breaking in to a factory and to sabotage and yet get found 'Not Guilty' by a jury. I presume that the authorities will appeal against this decision or are we in a post-rule of law world?