At my tribunal the Judge welcomed live tweeting as a means of #openjustice . It was brilliantly done by @wwwritingclub. Someone didn't like something she reported and complained to @Twitter. Her account was suspended for 12 hrs. She wasn't able to live tweet from #FairCopJR
Someone also did not like that the women of Mumsnet were talking openly about the case and the individuals involved. They received ominous warnings about "reporting restrictions" and decided to take all the names out if the posts to be on the safe side mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_ri…
After clarification that there were no reporting restrictions they have promised to replace all the names.
All of this is chilling. But most chilling of all are the internalised "reporting restrictions". The number of people who have sent me private messages of support, emails saying they did not see anything offensive in my writing compared to those willing & able to say it publicly
And the studious disinterest by the research and advocacy community (#development, #opengovernment, #humanrights #genderequality etc ..) that this case with significant ramifications is going on.
You can have #openjustice rules and #opendata, but still tyrants will close down freedom of speech and thought necessary for democratic debate by making it just too costly for individuals to say what they think, or say anything at all. medium.com/@MForstater/fe…
So @ObjectUK tells me their account also got a @twitter suspension for a tweet from my tribunal. Probably for "deadnaming" this witness. Who still maintains a professional profile in their given name. qmul.ac.uk/busman/staff/p…
