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MNHQ

Update on the Gina Ford legal situation

732 replies

JustineMumsnet · 25/02/2007 19:58

Hello all,
Some of you may have seen a Gina Ford interview in the Mail on Sunday today, in which she refers to the Mumsnet legal situation, so we thought it was only right to update you as to where we are.

We are due to go to mediation on March 7th. Our position with regard to this hasn't changed - since very early on in the dispute we have suggested mediation as a sensible way forward and so we are pleased to be meeting with Ms Ford and her lawyers on March 7th.

In the meantime GF has issued a claim form, which means that the court clock is now running and we have to put in our defence within 28 days.

Obviously, as Ms Ford has made clear by this action and by her statements in the Mail on Sunday if mediation fails, she intends to sue.

We're sorry that we are still having to ask you not to discuss Gina Ford or her methods but given the potential for something that may be used against Mumsnet to slip through, this probably remains the safest course of action.

We will, of course, keep you fully updated.

Thanks for all your support.
Mumsnet HQ

OP posts:
littlelapin · 01/03/2007 09:15

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dolally · 01/03/2007 08:56

someone please add the link to Justine's article again will you?..... I just cannot be bothered to scroll this whole thread.... and should be leaving for work... five mins ago!

Judy1234 · 01/03/2007 08:52

I do think it's worth going on about the fact you aren't checking and therefore liable for the content and no different from an ISP. This case Bunt www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/QB/2006/407.html looks at what liability of people like AOL and BT but it does hint that bulletin board operators may not be liable either in places, that if you don't check in advance you're not responsible.

FoghornLeghorn · 01/03/2007 08:17

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SecondhandRose · 01/03/2007 08:06

Has everyone offered their financial support as much as they can? Their was an appeal a while back and I am sure it is still open. Can anyone do a link or find it?

fortyplus · 28/02/2007 18:36

Sorry, Justine - I didn't think agreeing with the article would be a problem.

Best of luck for 7th March

Justaboutmanaging · 28/02/2007 17:28

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

homesicktaffy · 28/02/2007 17:14

Oh! There it is! Odd it doesnt show up on an advanced search. Was hoping to make lots of cheap jibes about fear of legal action because of the nature of some of the comments etc.

fryalot · 28/02/2007 17:09

try this

homesicktaffy · 28/02/2007 17:00

Is it just me or can no-one else find the article in the MoS? I have searched the archive and it doesn't appear. Too many comments from Mnetters p'haps!

Good luck Mumsnet. Will raid the Child Benefit if necessary as I reckon Mumsnet hasd done more for my children's/my/dh's sanity and health over the last few years than any other person/healthcare professional.

Great article in the ES (my dh brought it home specially). Justine, you look remarkably sane!

BEST WISHES...

fortyplus · 28/02/2007 15:02

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Rochwen · 28/02/2007 13:58

Thank you for posting the article. It's an excellent write up (the last paragraph says it all), reading it I just can't understand why this is happening and I am very sad mumsnet has to go through this. Mumsnet is such a fabulous place.

Once again, I wish you all the best and you have my full support.

ps on a personal note: What a lovely family you have, Justine.

NurseyJo · 28/02/2007 11:21

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Pruni · 28/02/2007 11:16

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Judy1234 · 28/02/2007 09:58

Lovely.

So they haven't issued a claim form (sued) but might? Well will they? It's not a clear bit of law, is it? Is it the pub / AOL/ISP /ecommerce regs exception argument or it is publishing like the Times does? Do they want to risk that?

Do they want also even if they win on that want to risk whether some of the 11 pages of stuff is libellous or not - to have the methods dissected and perhaps proved damaging to children? Maybe the publicity is worth that price, may be not. Also I don't think most libel damages have been that high recently so I doubt it would be much of a cash cow anyway. In one case I think someone got £10k damages for an internet libel and his costs (he was an academic - his legal costs were £250k).

It's a worry, though. Some idiot threatened to sue my brother on line for something which he'd written, which wasn't in my view libellous. The trauma that caused him was dreadful.

lulumama · 28/02/2007 09:41

thanks to nurseyjo & morningpaper for emailing the link and to babieseverywhere for the link too !!

great article

so that carrie and justine lost out on their maternity leave because of this

littlelapin · 28/02/2007 09:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Marscentio · 28/02/2007 09:22

By JustineMumsnet on Wed 28-Feb-07 00:40:45
Now you've all gone to bed I can respond, I hope, without fear of contradiction...

I'm updating my profile to say I'm 38...

Justine! tsk tsk!!!!

RainbowWalker · 28/02/2007 09:19

Thanks for the links - just read both articles to be brought up to speed...

if mumsnet gets closed down perhaps we should all collectively have a think about what new domain name we'd like?

A couple of ideas:

www.intelligentbutsometimesbolshywomen.com

www.mumshidingbehindsillynames.com

any other suggestions?

taylormama · 28/02/2007 09:15

great article - beautiful kids too!

katzg · 28/02/2007 09:03

great article!

Sorry to here that most of the comments made to the Mail didn't get in.

Glad to here that many of you agree with mine.

Saggarmakersbottomknocker · 28/02/2007 08:39

Brill article.

Although I did laugh at the counting 'the sticky buns in the supermarket' We only have organic home made sticky buns surely?

sockmonkey · 28/02/2007 08:11

fantastic article. and such lovely kids too!

Jillyadoodledoo · 28/02/2007 01:02

Ohhh - thanks for the link

mamama · 28/02/2007 00:54

link to the article

Lovely pic btw Justine!

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