Good luck Harry The Owl

[BoreOfWhabylon]

Court case today.

twitter.com/WeAreFairCop

So now we'll likely be able to get a better feel for the judge's stance as 'the other side' is presenting its case.

Judge - You have telephoned someone, visited them... on the basis of a policy that has no force in law
Def Counsel
Judge - just give me an answer.

Def Counsel - I would describe this as non statutory guidance.
Judge - I think we are all agreed on that
Judge - please be quiet. These are really serious issues. This is court of law and not a theatre.

This judge is brilliant.

I'm imagining Judge John Deed here ( tho he was a bit right on, so...)

Jaw drop. Fucking hell

I’m so hoping this goes our way. It’s ridiculous that the police think the way to combat phobia (irrational fear), is to employ an arbitrary set of punitive rules that nobody quite understands, and that people have no idea they’re even breaking or how it is that they are breaking them, let alone the fact that they have no recourse to appeal.

As DocStock’s witness statement so eloquently explains, the motives of such unwitting transgressions has already been determined, even though the vast majority of people discussing this topic hold, in actual fact, no malice whatsoever towards transpeople. They might however develop malice if they are effectively criminalised for expressing a perfectly reasonable opinion, for which they are then ensnared by some arcane opaque and undemocratic mechanism whereby they are punished for a non-crime they have been subjectively supposed to have committed because of complaints made by anonymous persons for reasons unknown.

If the police want to help capture the hearts and minds of the general public, this is not the way to go about it, in fact I’d say that it will just achieve the opposite, and that transposable will be harmed by this, rather than helped.

Judge : but this is not just non criminal. It is non criminal incident that impinges on freedom of speech #

Someone set of the fire alarm in the adjoining room

Blimey - did someone read Mockers' post of 13.13 and think 'That's a good idea'?

Transpeople* Sodding autocorrect.

Well said fuckery and especially yy to your final paragraph.

I'm enjoying this judge.

I have every single one of my fingers and toes crossed, that common fucking sense prevails.

Does anyone remember that epic thread, greatest Terf hits where we all made songs? I really hope that can be resurrected if common sense does prevail and rhymes are allowed...

Docstockk - absolutely brilliant

This is riveting

The judge is (so far) a giant among judges. So clear and incisive and sensible. I'm feeling faint with appreciation in between feeling faint with terror that it's come to this. Even contributed to the FairCop Crowdfunder in my excitement!

Defense counsel seems to be a bit of a mumbling car crash.

Blimey - did someone read Mockers' post of 13.13 and think 'That's a good idea

I immediately thought it might have been an attempt to disrupt the case too. I'm sure it wasn't, but it's a bit alarming that we are in an environment where that seems like a realistic possibility.

It’s ridiculous that the police think the way to combat phobia (irrational fear), is to employ an arbitrary set of punitive rules that nobody quite understands, and that people have no idea they’re even breaking or how it is that they are breaking them, let alone the fact that they have no recourse to appeal.

Why is it ridiculous ? It's how they've done it this far for years.

For those that aren't getting the Hashtag updates
The latest update from the defense counsel is:

Take reporting from minority communities seriously - this is essential for the police to gain confidence from minority communities. We must gain confidence of marginalised communities - a key issue here.

Obviously Parroting the Stonewall classes or something.

Captain Yes just as in Maya's case. I think that as PPs have said, the arguments are falling down under the light. What is horrendous is that policy and organisational capture has taken place with NO critical thinking, testing or review whatsoever. Which the regular (and magnificent) FWR posters have been saying all along.

Defense submissions are basically "police have 'no lived experience' of transgender community and thus can apply no critical focus to any complaint."

Have they? I think most people would have some idea of what a hate crime is, or what it might be. This, however, has the judiciary scratching their heads.

Part of the contract between the police and the people is that they uphold the law in a way that can be understood and predicted. This is neither understandable nor predictable.

Defence submissions are basically that police have 'no lived experience' of transgender community and thus can apply no critical focus to any complaint. WOW.

What!

That doesn't say much for the supposed intelligence of the police does it, if they have to have lived experience of something before they are capable of policing related to that something.