Also happening today – because there’s not enough going on?? – is that Fair Cop is in court tweeting the case of Harry Miller aka Harry the Owl, whose account was suspended for evilthought.

A selection of the tweets:

Opening by Harry’s counsel. Plainly a very important case involving freedom of speech in the internet era. Won’t go through all background facts but take the court to important documents. #FairCopJR

The involvement of the police in social media discussion about this. Judge interjects – want to lay down a marker. What is said against you is that recording a hate incident is not a sanction so not interference. And said your client is robust enough to comment.

Judge – suppose I find that combination of recording and remote potential for it to be disclosed and I find that PC Gul created impression that your client should stop – would all of that be sufficient to interfere with Art 10, not because it impacted YOUR client –

– but had chilling effect on others? Answer – yes. Recording under this policy, the publicity around what the police can do… if they had some deterrent effect on others that is sufficient – absolutely. #FairCopJR

Judge accepts that some of HM’s posting is capable of contributing to debate but not all. Counsel – will need to look in context.

Further discussion about putting ‘offensive’ speech in context of national conversation. The consequences of amendment to GRA are far reaching.

Judge – I note in the Times this morning that Oxford Brookes have ‘disinvited’ a speaker.

Why? Because she shared two tweets that some “activists” disliked.