Ben Cooper QC - Lawyer of the Week (in the Times)

[Justme56]

Sorry I can't share the article, but liked this:

What is the funniest thing that has happened in your job?

As a result of my work in this area, apparently becoming an object of admiration on Mumsnet [the Internet parents' forum] - improbable in many ways.

😁

It does.

I miss Ben, he needs his own show. Clever and self deprecating, what a great guy.

@whereareyounow well now I know what copium is - it's good to learn something every day.

Anyone fancy a dry martini right now?

It is used regularly by the incels when they get owned by feminists on twitter. For example when women get rape and death threats they tell us to 'cope'. As if we haven't been coping with male pattern violence and threats for a fair amount of our lives.

We should have a virtual mumsnet martini night

Cheers! 😁

Copium goes back to when Donald Trump won the US presidency in 2016, it's not specifically used by incels.

Yep. It baffles me that Stonewall has charitable status that allows it to collect money on the basis that it campaigns for equality, when it so often appears to be campaigning for policies that discriminate.

Hi Ben! (Congratulations.) Legal question for you. If Stonewall fundraises from donors like Tesco etc by saying it fights for equality, and then uses that money to instead fight for the promotion of transactivist political policies that undermine equality, what’s the status of the money…

Regularly does not mean specifically.

Regularly means it is currently used regularly by incels if women deem themselves to not want to be raped or murdered by males, many of whom are incels. Other people may also use it. It may come from a different source.

But incels do use it regularly against women.

Go Ben!

Loved the MN shoutout and loved the reference to shoddy bundles.

You are definitely an Honorary Viper. Welcome to you and your support wren.

I'm just here to wave to Ben.
Hi Ben 👋love you!

Ben is a great example of a beardy man who isn’t a bawbag!

😂😂😂

Are there review sites for Barristers? Your comment would make a great recommendation quote.

Ben, if you're reading (digression: would you consider doing an AMA?), I would love to know how you found it hard not to snort out loud when "someone" from Stonewall turned up with a lawyer, a support person, her mother and her dog. Were you and your colleagues not privately thinking What The Actual Fuck? (albeit possibly in a more eloquently way)?

Hello Ben!

Were you and your colleagues not privately thinking What The Actual Fuck? (albeit possibly in a more eloquently way)?

Perhaps Ben and his colleagues had Arkell v Pressdram in mind? In that particular case, the publisher of Private Eye responded to a legal letter by saying, "We acknowledge your letter of [...] We note that Mr Arkell's attitude to damages will be governed by the nature of our reply and would therefore be grateful if you could inform us what his attitude to damages would be, were he to learn that the nature of our reply is as follows: fuck off. Yours etc."

Most of my friends are the 'be kind' type. For a couple of weeks my FB feed was full of posts about support parrots and so on. That may not be a win for Allison, but it's definitely a loss for stonewall.

😂👍

I like to think that BC has spent a bit of downtime in his garden office, with a chilled glass of his favourite tipple. Surrounded by his lovely wall art. Whilst leisurely scrolling through the multiple threads created this year re MF and AB.

Yes, he was just doing his job. But boy did he do it well.

The bundle comment was perfect.

My only concern is that he’s going to get “labelled”. Or, equally, put on a pedestal (and then torn down, a favourite sport on social media or sections of the press).

My only concern is that he’s going to get “labelled”. Or, equally, put on a pedestal (and then torn down, a favourite sport on social media or sections of the press).

BC has been Lawyer of the Week on a previous occasion and for his work in a number of employment areas. He's very obviously exceptional to have made silk in 16 years.

A personal favourite was the luminescent Bensplaining of a text message in Alison's case they tried to minimise

"It does stand for 'for fuck's sake' though, doesn't it?"

Allison*

Why is he lawyer of the week - he lost the case against Stonewall and won in one aspect against Garden Chambers.

Surely Stonewall's lawyers who won the case in court are more deserving of this accolade?