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Twitter joke trial

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The Twitter Joke Trial is the name given to a legal case centred on an incident concerning Robin Hood Airport in England.

During late December 2009 and early January 2010, cold weather had resulted in considerable disruption across northern England. Robin Hood airport was one of many airports which were forced to cancel flights. On 6 January 2010,[1] an intending traveller, Paul Chambers, posted a message on Twitter:

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!![2]

He was arrested by anti-terror police at his office a week later,[1] for making a bomb threat,[2] after an off-duty manager at the airport found the message while doing an unrelated computer search.[1] His mobile phone, laptop and desktop hard drive were confiscated during a search of his house.[2] He was later charged with "sending a public electronic message that was grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character contrary to the Communications Act 2003".[1][3] On 10 May, he was found guilty at Doncaster magistrates court[1] and ordered to pay £1,000 in fines and legal costs.[2] He lost his job as a consequence.[2]

The conviction has been widely condemned as unfair,[4][5][6] and referred to as a miscarriage of justice.[7]

Chambers lost an appeal against his conviction. Judge Jacqueline Davies heard his appeal in Doncaster Crown Court; she judged that the tweet contained "menace" and that Chambers must have known that it might be taken seriously.[8] Thousands of Twitter users responded by reposting Chambers' Tweet including the hashtag #iamspartacus.[9][10] (a reference to the 1960 film Spartacus).

The High Court is due to hear a further appeal in February 2012[11] . The "appeal by case stated" will be made by Chambers' barristers, Ben Emmerson QC and Sarah Przybylska, and David Allen Green (who acted for Chambers in earlier proceedings[12]) will be acting as his solicitor, through Preiskel & Co LLP.[13]

The comedian and television presenter Stephen Fry has offered to pay Chambers' legal bill.[14][15]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wainwright, Martin (10 May 2010). "Wrong kind of tweet leaves air traveller £1,000 out of pocket - UK news - The Guardian". Guardian. London. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
  2. ^ a b c d e Chambers, Paul (11 May 2010). "My tweet was silly, but the police reaction was absurd - The Guardian". Guardian. London. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
  3. ^ http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/21/section/127
  4. ^ "The Twitter "Bomb Hoax" case: worse than we thought?". 2 March 2010. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
  5. ^ Mitchell, David (16 May 2010). "Sacked and fined £1,000 for a joke about an airport? - David Mitchell column - The Observer". Guardian. London. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
  6. ^ Cohen, Nick (19 September 2010). "Twitter and terrifying tale of modern Britain - The Observer". Guardian. London. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
  7. ^ "Jack of Kent: Why the Paul Chambers case matters". Blogger. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
  8. ^ Wainwright, Martin (11 November 2010). "Twitter joke trial: Paul Chambers loses appeal against conviction". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 12 November 2010.
  9. ^ Siddique, Haroon (12 November 2010). "#IAmSpartacus campaign explodes on Twitter in support of airport joker". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 12 November 2010.
  10. ^ "Thousands of Twitter users express support for Chambers". 12 November 2010. Retrieved 12 November 2010.
  11. ^ "the Twitter Joke Trial". Retrieved 3 December 2011.
  12. ^ "David Allen Green - Profile from Preiskel.com". Retrieved 07 April 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  13. ^ "High Court Date for “Twitter Joke Trial”". New Statesman. 8 September 2011. Retrieved 8 September 2011. {{cite web}}: C1 control character in |title= at position 21 (help)
  14. ^ Siddique, Haroon (12 November 2010). "#IAmSpartacus campaign explodes on Twitter in support of airport joker". The Guardian. London.
  15. ^ "Stephen Fry says British judges don't understand Twitter". BBC News. London. 8 February 2012.
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