Today I am talking to the blogger Jack of Kent about the extraordinary decision in the case of Paul Chambers, a young trainee accountant, who posted a ‘bomb’ message on Twitter. The message was “Crap! Robin Hood Airport is closed. You’ve got a week and a bit to get your shit together, otherwise I’m blowing the airport sky high!” This was in response to a news feed that he had just received that the airport was closed due to the weather conditions prevailing at that time.
Paul Chambers was arrested and questioned on suspicion for the “bomb hoax” offence under the Criminal Law Act 1977. The CPS realised that they did not have sufficient evidence for the bomb hoax offence under the 1977 Act, that is the actual legislation dealing with supposed bomb hoaxes….and as Jack of Kent said on his blog…. “So some bright spark came up with section 127 of the Communications Act 2003”…. a provision which the CPS actually sees as not requiring any evidence of intention.
Jack of Kent: Paul Chambers: a Disgraceful and Illiberal Judgment
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