Women need to raise a class action

[ArabellaScott]

... to ensure that misogynist males with grievances against them cannot abuse the police and court system to cause suffering, stress and harassment.

I know nothing about the law, can anyone advise?

Is it feasible to do this?

I'm in Scotland.

I'm glad Marion Millar's case was dropped, but more needs to be done. We can't allow the system to be abused and used to target and harass women like this.

It's already happened far too often.

Marion Millar
Ceri Black
Posie Parker
Caroline Farrow
Kate Scottow
Linda Bellos
Venice Allan

This has to stop. The law is not meant to be there to harass women. The law should be there to protect women from harassment.

www.heraldscotland.com/politics/19678238.prosecutors-discontinue-hate-crime-case-scots-feminist-marion-millar/

I hope this doesn't turn into a cat and mouse. I have to say that I don't understand how/if the complainants could compel the prosecution to proceed but it's left as a dangling threat.

Although a prosecution could still go ahead, the move indicates that is now less likely

FFS.

Cat and mouse is spot on.

' A spokesperson for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service said: “Those directly involved have been informed of an update in this case and there is a right to call for a review of this.

“Until any review has been completed the question of whether or not there will be a prosecution remains open.

“The Crown reserves the right to proceed and will not comment further.” '

I agree that activists, usually men are using the law and the police as tools to silence people, usually women, who they disagree with.

The question is what can be done.

See anyone who has been following this will just be hearing more of the same.

We know we don't have a case, but we want you to feel intimidated anyway.

Exactly, Datun. It's great news for Marion but the chlling effect remains in place, just as those who misuse the system wish it to be.

It's unacceptable. Have they set a deadline for this "review" on behalf of the "affected people"?

We know we don't have a case, but we want you to feel intimidated anyway.

Spot on.

I don't know, Eresh.

It's not right that the government are using vague threats to try to control and manipulate people.

This is not how a liberal democracy is supposed to work.

It's unacceptable

Completely and utterly

@ArabellaScott

I don't know, Eresh.

It's not right that the government are using vague threats to try to control and manipulate people.

This is not how a liberal democracy is supposed to work.

And yet it is.

What a huge mess!

@Ereshkigalangcleg

It's unacceptable. Have they set a deadline for this "review" on behalf of the "affected people"?

Should be within a month, if I'm looking in the right place? Though it doesn't say it has to be, so the threat is still there.

www.copfs.gov.uk/publications/victims-and-witnesses

Victims Right To Review

Please be aware that from 1 July 2015, you, as a victim of crime in Scotland, have the right to a review of a decision by us not to prosecute, made on or after 1 July 2015. You should if possible apply for a review within one month of the date you are informed of our decision not to prosecute. Generally you would be told of the review decision within 20 working days.

One offensive thing is the way that the "hate" in "hate crime" is so vague as to be meaningless and that it's interpreted according to whatever is currently in vogue on certain parts of social media.

It would seem to go against the concept of legal certainty: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_certainty

And the issue for Marion is that the papers can't report what she actually said so it's left with this vague feeling that maybe she said something awful

yes, nauticant, although Marion was prosecuted under 'malicious communications'. We haven't even GOT to the new shiny 'hate crime' bill yet.

@Datun

See anyone who has been following this will just be hearing more of the same.

We know we don't have a case, but we want you to feel intimidated anyway.

The process is the punishment.

I agree we need some kind of class action, it’s pure misogyny and misinterpretation of the actual law ENTIRELY due to lies from Stonewall, who have “advised” the police.

Is it Stonewall who needs suing?!!

Would writing to Priti Patel/AN Other be helpful?

Happy to write to whoever would be the most effective to appeal to. Agree this is harassment, totally unacceptable.

@Datun

See anyone who has been following this will just be hearing more of the same.

We know we don't have a case, but we want you to feel intimidated anyway.

Which is, very likely, a much more satisfying and publicly face saving outcome than Marion getting this heard in a court room where it is publicly unpicked, discussed and the full gory details expressed.

I'm with you Arabella and will do whatever I can to help. This is a new and fun way to abuse females for daring to not do what misogynists tell them, and the court system in this country should not be permitting themselves to be weaponised for petty coercive abuse and control.

Although goodness knows the many thousands of women who have been trying to get the family courts to stand up to misogynist men using court proceedings to continue being able to abuse them after they have escaped would point out they've been trying for years.

More evidence piling up that the UK is monstrously and fundamentally misogynist right to the very core of its court, policies, government and basic civil rights. It is all unequally stacked against women, the evidence is everywhere. Past time for half the electorate to be a bit less ladylike about it.

Which is, very likely, a much more satisfying and publicly face saving outcome than Marion getting this heard in a court room where it is publicly unpicked, discussed and the full gory details expressed.

By which, to be very clear: I mean the general public would have wondered wtaf the Scots govt thought it was doing, and the embarrassed party would have been the complainants.

“More evidence piling up that the UK is monstrously and fundamentally misogynist right to the very core of its court, policies, government and basic civil rights. It is all unequally stacked against women, the evidence is everywhere. Past time for half the electorate to be a bit less ladylike about it.”

I totally agree.

@CruellaDeVilla

“More evidence piling up that the UK is monstrously and fundamentally misogynist right to the very core of its court, policies, government and basic civil rights. It is all unequally stacked against women, the evidence is everywhere. Past time for half the electorate to be a bit less ladylike about it.”

I totally agree.

Yep.

@ScreamingMeMeSawUs

Would writing to Priti Patel/AN Other be helpful?

Should we do one of those open letters? Encourage everyone to sign.

A class action to achieve what exactly. Women being exempt from consequences if they break the law?