JK Rowling threatening legal action

[TheLashKingOfScotland]

A TRA and Canadian Green Party rep has made libellous comments about JK regarding her position on trans rights and her suitability to be trusted around children.
JK asked her to retract them or they would hear from JK's lawyers. Currently they are digging in. Seemingly unaware that JK has pursued legal cases based on Twitter comments before and that it isn't acceptable to make unfounded statements about people.
It will be interesting to see how it unfolds.
It could have wider reaching consequences if certain sectors see they can't just make unfounded accusations any more.

I can't really see many downsides to JKR pursuing it. The tweet was clearly defamatory - unless the tweeter can actually turn up evidence that JKR is a danger to children (which seems unlikely), then an English court would almost certainly find in JKR's favour.

I wouldn't expect it to get that far, though. I imagine JKR's lawyers, who are probably the most feared libel lawyers money can buy (Carter Ruck, say) will write a strongly-worded letter that will scare the living daylights out of the activist. It will probably demand a public apology and a donation to an appropriate charitable cause. I would be very surprised indeed if the Canadian TRA then decides to pursue it to court. To do so would require them to be either very wealthy, or very stupid, or both.

If the main action was in a Canadian court, or was in an English or Scottish court and a judgement favourable to JKR needed to be enforced by a Canadian court, I could easily imagine some nutty judge dealing with nutty Canadian law falling for an argument that JKR's words were "literal violence" against "trans kids".

Skipping the Canadian leg completely can be done but getting an English or Scottish judgement but not enforcing it would be rather pointless.

Either way, it's getting the issue into the public consciousness which is vital, too. Just publicising what now constitutes 'transphobia', is very useful

Either way, it's getting the issue into the public consciousness which is vital, too.

Yes, that's the main thing here. TRAs think the more pressure they apply the more righteous they look and the more support they get. But that's only from their allies or from the firmly woke which is a very narrow segment of the public. The more they push it, the more the rest of the public will start to become aware. They won't like seeing a mob of aggressive unhinged extremists attacking a woman for saying biology is real.

These are the tweets she posted about Corbyn, which discussed the income tax issue.

mobile.twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/1076458808703180800

They were pretty funny, though perhaps slightly less so than that 10,000 word fanfic writer offering tips.

I agree Corgi it won’t even get to court if Carter Ruck are involved, although if it’s U.K., the onus is on the libellous person to prove that the defamation is true.

I do hope she insists on a donation to Vancouver Rape Relief as part of any out of court settlement.

I think those Corbyn tweets are fine - she reflected the reservations of many Labour voters under Corbyn. Thank God we have a credible leader of the opposition.

Glad to see the support JKR is getting. I hope that vile defamatory allegation gets an airing in court. Like corona virus, it won’t survive the sunlight.

She's richer than God, has a strong moral core and won't back down on women's rights.

They seem pretty bad at picking their 'targets' don't they..Harry and Posie come to mind immediately but theres more.always assume that people will just meekly take the abuse and lies..does't seem to work that way in reality, but they keep trying!

That video is brilliant Dances

I love JK & the stupidity in them attacking her like this is mind blowing.

Especially now with the extra Ickabog audience- sunshine sunshine everywhere

(& have you seen how she’s commenting on so many drawings? She’s lovely)

Also sorry if this makes me awful and sticking my nose in or whatever, but those Corbyn tweets I find fucking hilarious. The way noone could criticize saint corbyn was just ridiculous. And I did start off from a position where I saw him as some kind of political messiah too, I am embarassed to say!

I think JKR is fantastic. She is a self made rich, powerful, woman, and what’s more she doesn’t need ‘likes’ to remain rich and powerful, she uses her influence for causes she believes in rather than ones she thinks will earn her ‘likes’.

I emailed her recently (when she was getting some flack for supporting Maya F) to tell her that I appreciate her standing up for her fellow women and I was astounded to get a reply from her assistant saying thank you !

Anyway, as with all things involving the TRAs then the more sunshine on this the better I say.

Thanks for that, BlackberryCane , I'd not seen these tweets! Very funny, and I particularly liked

"and others still did beseech the woman to descend from the ivory tower in which, for the purposes of this story, they would wish her to dwell."

Doubt it'll make it to court. Tweet deleted and a bit of reverse ferret going on albeit with ill humour.
I hope her lawyers go back and insist on a fulsome apology

Will happen again, sadly. Glad this is over for her, but was actually kind of hoping for sunlight here. Of course, removing such accusations is the best thing for JK so..happy with this.

Will still spread round TRA circles, with added 'she bullied a poor activist simply because she is rich and can afford good lawyers! silencing!' rubbish.

Just following up Fanny’s post with the second part of the tweet

Children are particularly vulnerable..yeah indeed. Glad you realised that. Now leave them the fuck alone to develop and potentially get happy (to some degree) in their own skin. If they don't treatment is an option later down the line. Leave kids alone.

I'm not entirely convinced the climbdown is going to be effective. Taking it down with a comment that this person still holds to the 'intent' of posting that JKR is a danger to children, but has removed the initial comment because JKR is rich and powerful doesn't seem like much of a retraction to me.

But this crew are skilled at pretending one thing is another thing, so I'm not surprised.

Hmm yeah thats a good point. I often forget the kind of people we are dealing with here.

Taking it down with a comment that this person still holds to the 'intent' of posting that JKR is a danger to children, but has removed the initial comment because JKR is rich and powerful doesn't seem like much of a retraction to me.

Me neither. It's ridiculous. I mean most people can manage a sorry, not sorry without virtually repeating what they said in the original offending tweet.

This person can't even do that.

Are they saying that JK is a danger to children, but because they're rich and powerful they are getting away with it?! And that's a retraction?

Oh dear.

I find the utter lack of contrition very male. If something like this had happened to me, I'd be mortified.

If I were JK I'd follow through. It doesn't matter that the person deleted the tweet, thousands of people saw it. And they haven't apologised.

Yes, if JK accepts that and moves on, she's been much kinder than I would be.

I wonder what the lawyer whose advice they claim to be taking thinks about those latest Tweets?

I'm also interested in how the press are going to cover this. JK Rowling being targeted by angry internet mobs would be a story normally wouldn't it? But it's all very Twittery and also ridiculous and a bit hard to explain. I hope it gets some coverage all the same.