Yesterday Twitter sparked into action and #Iamspartacus and #twitterjoketrial trended all day – and is still trending. @JackofKent (aka David Allen Green – Paul Chambers’ lawyer) reports that some 20,000 + tweets of the now famously infamous @pauljchambers tweet about East Midlands airport being ‘blown sky high’ have been recorded. Jackofkent commented that he may have 20k+ clients if the CPS decides to prosecute everyone who tweeted the original ‘menacing tweet’.
Crap! Robin Hood airport is closed. You’ve got a week to get your shit together, otherwise I’m blowing the airport sky high!! #IAmSpartacus
The judge on appeal used the concept of the sensitive old/ordinary couple – another entirely imaginary device in the fine tradition of the *Man on the Clapham Omnibus* to justify her judgment – although, to be fair, I haven’t had the opportunity of reading this judgment. Has it been published anywhere? [I am advised by Jackofkent that it may just have been a ‘sensitive couple’ and not ‘older couple’ as I have seen reported on the net/twitter – One must be accurate….. but there is nothing to stop an imaginary sensitive couple being older as in pic…. – I will await JoK’s confirmation of this from transcript – Have amended pic and header accordingly! – The judge may have said *ordinary person / couple…..]
‘I am Spartacus’ goes viral on Twitter
“I am Spartacus” became one of the most used phrases in the world on Friday as thousands of Twitter users protested against the conviction of a man found guilty of threatening to blow up an airport on the microblogging site.
This *case celebre* ain’t going to go away quietly. Concerts for Paul are now being planned. There is a Twitterjoketrial fund and Stephen Fry has said he will pay Paul Chambers’ fine.
Time, I think for politicians to step in and have a long hard look at s.127…and time for the deft hand of a Red or Appeal judge(s) to ‘review’ it?
One tweeter has even written an ‘Open Letter’ to the trial judge….
Hi Charon,
Excellent post as usual. Thanks for the link. Please also mention this other great open letter by another person called Matt:
http://www.inventpartners.com/content/an-open-letter-to-judge-jacqueline-davies
It’s much more restrained than mine and every bit as relevant.
Slight change of subject, this video seems to be going viral
http://stefzucconi.blogspot.com/2010/11/economics-101-lesson-11-qe-explained.html
Probably won’t be a “judgment” as such. It was just an appeal from Magistrates to Crown – the case is merely “reheard.”
ObiterJ – yes… I suspect not… but surely there must be a transcript available f?
Thanks Matt… have posted link to that in the main post above…..
Yes, there may be a transcript. Would need to look into that further. On appeals from mags. the judge used to merely make notes in a bound notebook. Not sure whether they take a verbatim transcript of these appeal nowadays.
I really hope that J o K does a further piece on this case. Any further appeal would have to be on point of law.
David Allen Green (J o K) really can’t comment on this case as he is an instructed solicitor. When it’s all over he will surely weigh in. In the meantime others will have to step up.
[…] We must never be seduced into thinking that the CPS and the State gets all prosecutions right. #twitterjoketrial comes to mind. (Also here: Law Review: Twitter Joke Trial – A travesty… why do we […]
This just sums up the level of thought behind the decision:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/3yf2ytq
[…] We must never be seduced into thinking that the CPS and the State gets all prosecutions right. #twitterjoketrial comes to mind. (Also here: Law Review: Twitter Joke Trial – A travesty… why do we […]