In a significant development, a UK judge has referred self-proclaimed bitcoin inventor Craig Wright to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to consider criminal charges of perjury and forgery. The judge's ruling also includes injunctions that prevent Wright from re-litigating his claim to be the creator of Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto.

Justice James Mellor of England's High Court of Justice wrote in his ruling that he has "no doubt" that the relevant papers in the case should be sent to the CPS for review. The CPS will then decide whether Wright should be arrested and whether his extradition should be pursued. Mellor firmly stated that if Wright genuinely believes he is Nakamoto, "he is deluding himself."

This referral comes after Mellor previously found that Wright had "lied repeatedly and extensively" and engaged in significant document forgery. The case was initiated when Wright faced a lawsuit filed by the nonprofit organization Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA), which aimed to disprove Wright's claim to be Nakamoto and prevent him from claiming intellectual property rights to the Bitcoin system.

In an intriguing turn of events, Wright's current location remains unknown, according to today's ruling. Mellor stated that Wright left his previous residence in Wimbledon, and it appears he has also left the UK. The last established time zone for Wright was UTC +7, indicating that he may be traveling.

COPA expressed its difficulties in locating Wright, and Mellor agreed that COPA's request to dispense with personal service of the final order on Wright was justified. COPA's concerns about Wright potentially evading service or being challenging to locate led Mellor to grant the order for COPA's final order to be served through Wright's solicitors.

Mellor's decision to refer Wright for perjury prosecution was seemingly straightforward after the events of the trial. He described Wright's false claim to be Nakamoto as "a most serious abuse" of the legal process in multiple countries, including the UK, Norway, and the USA.

Alongside the referral, Mellor approved COPA's requests for injunctions that prohibit Wright from initiating lawsuits aimed at developers based on his claim to be the creator of Bitcoin. These injunctions are intended to prevent Wright from threatening legal action.

However, Mellor declined to issue additional orders that would prevent Wright from asserting legal rights as Nakamoto, prohibiting the re-publication of his fraudulent claims, or requiring him to delete previously published statements. Mellor deemed these orders unnecessary due to the perceived limited impact they would have. Nevertheless, COPA has permission to apply for further injunctive relief if deemed necessary within a two-year period.

The ruling by Justice Mellor marks a significant development in the legal proceedings surrounding Craig Wright's claim to be Satoshi Nakamoto. The decision to refer Wright for criminal charges and the issuance of injunctions aim to address the consequences of his false claims and protect the interests of both corporate entities and individuals within the Bitcoin community affected by his actions.