JKR vs Police Scotland?

[IcakethereforeIam]

Tras are trying to get JKR arrested.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/03/10/trans-activists-scottish-police-arrest-jk-rowling-crime/

https://archive.ph/5TEU4 highland fling yourself over the paywall, cos Scottish!

Thought to give IW a break.

The Hate Crime...crime(?) comes into force on 1st April, according to the article. The SNP has not engaged with any of the organisations who have expressed concerns and no-one knows what, if any, training the Police have been given.

Fulton MacGregor SNP MSP tells #newsnight that while there could be complaints about JK Rowling, he thinks they would be against the essence of Scotland's hate crime law

Right on the back of an ideology where definitions change with the wind, and for which the mangling of language is crucial, I can't tell you how reassuring it is that laws are being written which rely on individual interpretations of their 'essence'.

"The spirit of the law" isn't a new made-up concept! It's important to consider when you work in legal and quasi-legal professions.

Agreed @WiltingAtTreadmills - but there are usually definitions and careful, accurate wording to assist.

Plus, as far as I am aware, where spirit and letter collide, letter wins. That's why it is so important to draft legislation carefully, and consider.not only every definition, and possible ambiguity/ loophole, but all punctuation, to try to ensure ensure totally clarity.

It isn't the job of the judge to try to read the minds of legislators and they don't like having to do it - they are there to apply the law. That's how some cases end up being appealed so that the high court can give definitive interpretations.

Bad law is a nightmare for judges, I would think - and a money tree for lawyers.

Edited to try to ensure total clarity - it's harder than you think.

@Nitronine, I love the Harry Potter nerdery! @Datun, yes JKR could be reported, yes the police have promised to investigate all such reports (imagine the caseload!) but Fultonthinks it would be against the spirit of the law - it’s a shame Victoria D didn’t ask him about the Police Scotland training. It’s difficult to know if the SNP is unaware of what the other hand of government is up to, or if it just doesn’t care…

How is it possible to obey or enforce a law when the "spirit" and "essence" of that law are too ephemeral to be put into words in the law? Even more so when that law defines criminality.
It is purely subjective and based on the person interpreting it at the time.

@maltravers thank you (fear not, I shan’t continue 😁)

JKR has now handed over to lawyers as the great eejit hasn’t apologised…

Good! That Wizarding News bloke had been well out of line. Definite stalker vibes from him.

🍿

If Twitter is correct, he’s not some spotty teenager in his bedroom but an IT guy (faints with surprise) with a business built originally off the back of the Harry Potter books. He looks to be at least in his thirties.

I enjoyed the Harry Potter deep delve Nitro, it’s many years now since I listened to the Fry audiobooks with my kids, a refresher on the key points about the Sorting of HP was welcome to me at least. I wonder how Stephen Fry feels about the HP connection now he is an elder statesman of the LGB(T?) world.

His site started in 2002 so I'd imagine he's in his forties.

The 'essence' is not the law, it just identifies as the law.

The police are virtue signalling again to please the puppet masters. They don't actually intend to prosecute anyone.

It's a bit like your mum saying 'behave yourself or you can't watch tv but then letting you watch tv anyway because she wants a bit of peace'.

It's getting very tedious and hopefully they will stop soon and get back to normal.

But I do love how he's already said JKR has done nothing wrong.

Talking about JK on Jeremy Vine. The tra and its fans really don't like JK do they. Using 'Jo' as an example in their hate speech on gender. Seriously, obviously it's supposed to be JK.

She's amazing and not scared of their ridiculous stance.

but an IT guy (faints with surprise) with a business built originally off the back of the Harry Potter books

Does that mean she is hurting his business, and therefore financially, if she continues to speak out? No wonder he's getting upset and wants her back in her box.

I'm also enjoying the HP excepts. I haven't read any HP books or watched the films so know nothing. Yes, I said it out loud, I'm weird 😎

Small reminder, many of us are blocked by IW. He banned me after one post.

Not only reporting themselves, but reporting each other: "She looked at me funny!" "Well, she criticised my lemon drizzle recipe!" "You started it!" and so on and so on. Complaints, and complaints about complaints, and complaints about complaints about complaints...

I rather fancy a road trip to Scotland. Quite happy to contribute to a picnic for the journey, I'll whip up some sandwiches. Maybe a pork pie?

That Wizarding News bloke is severely obsessed with JKR.

As usual, quote below for anyone blocked or not on X

'So much solidarity to everyone who's previously been targeted for abuse by JK Rowling.
She's a monster, and attracts so many other monsters to do her evil bidding.
Look at the replies to our tweets today:
Unhinged. Deranged. Frothing hatred and fear of LGBTQ+ people.'

https://twitter.com/wizardingnews/status/1770467477152993642

Also he's reposted this:

Scottish followers. From April the 1st please report all transphobic abuse using this form. You can even report anonymously https://scotland.police.uk/secureforms/c3/

https://twitter.com/LAWS_28/status/1770410774646739380

Yes. And I understand that laws are often almost deliberately 'woolly', to make way for interpretations.

But these laws appear to have been influenced by people who require them to be as woolly as humanly possible, precisely in order to exploit them.

Not to accommodate nuance, but to make sure they are only applied to a certain targeted section.

And as the entire ideology is designed to benefit men and dominate women, I think I could predict, with 100% accuracy, exactly who is going to benefit from that undefined essence.

Looks like he's decided to go down with his ship.

Wanker.

What happens if JKR simply decamps out of Scotland for a while to post on twitter? Do the police not have to establish that Scotland has a reason for jurisdiction under this law? Like say JKR and IW have a set to on twitter, and IW and IW's army of reporters flood police Scotland with complaints about JKR. How does Scotland get to be involved if they don't know where JKR was when she offended IW?
Taking it further can two hypothetical people in England have a set to on twitter and a third person in England reports it to police Scotland as a crime under this new law. Scottish police have to investigate? They then have to establish if any of the participants were in Scotland when they tweeted, but the participants decline to speak to the police. Do the police try to invite them to Scotland to be interviewed? What if the two parties having a set to on twitter are in England but a third unrelated party is offended in Scotland. Do Scottish police now have to do a full investigation of two people in a different country making tweets from a different country because a Scottish person is offended?
Can a person in Scotland make a complaint to Scottish police about people in Australia/Africa/Russia saying stuff on Twitter?

I haven't read any HP books or watched the films so know nothing. Yes, I said it out loud, I'm weird

I can't let you stand there exposed and vulnerable, PurpleSparkledPixie. This is my Spartacus moment:
I HAVE NEVER READ ANY HP BOOKS OR WATCHED THE FILMS EITHER.
Courage, mon brave, they'll have to take both of us on!

My admiration for JKR is 100% based on her brave, intelligent, and often v witty non-fictional words, and her admirable actions.

And {double checks that pseudonym is watertight} I think she's ..um... kind of ..well, very, actually.... attractive.
Obviously that shouldn't matter a bit. Obviously.😏

Looks like he's decided to go down with his ship.

Interesting how he keeps saying 'we' when it's just him.

@lechiffre55 I was trying to work out all the different scenarios but I think the 'offence' has to take place in Scotland.

Him and "the LGBT+ community"? That would be a "we", I suppose.

Convinced he's speaking for said community? Hoping for support and solidarity from it?

He has 38k followers and his site is dedicated to 'reporting on the demise of JK Rowling's legacy' so I imagine they are all hostile to JKR.

If this takes off and a FOI request discloses 1,000s of reportings, I think she will be able to prove harassment.

@WallaceinAnderland
For a normal crime that's really cut and dried, but for hurt internet feelings I feel there a lot of room for argument over where an offense takes place.
If I tweet something from England and then travel to Scotland a few days later. Is it a crime it if someone living in Scotland views it for the first time and is offended when I'm now in Scotland too?
Does a person who's being offended by a tweet have to be in Scotland? Or - Can I from England report to Scottish police everything a person living in Scotland is tweeting that offends me?
Is the offense comitted at the tweet? or the viewing of the tweet and being offended?
Hypothetically I live right on the border of England and Scotland. As long as I make sure I walk over the border into England every time to tweet am I safe even though my house is covered by police Scotland?
It just seems to me that the concept of when and where the offense is comitted is just as wishy washy as the subjective nature of if anyone takes any offense for any reason that they don't even have to explain it's a crime.