Legal Twitterati couldn’t help but take the p*ss
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) have this week launched brand new social media campaigns, and lawyers couldn’t help but poke fun at them both.
Take the MoJ, which debuted #YouAtYourBest yesterday. The social media hashtag has been introduced to coincide with Justice Secretary Liz Truss’ launch of HM Prison and Probation Service, described on its website as: “[a] new frontline service focused on reforming offenders and cutting crime.”
Cue legal Twitterati reaction, such as these gems from Garden Court Chambers’ Matt Stanbury:
Not being able to pick up or see your kids because the MoJ is keeping courts open from 8am-8pm #YouAtYourBest
— Matt Stanbury (@thepubliclawyer) April 4, 2017
The MoJ is sharing a hashtag with a Nigerian fruit juice (100% pure) but, as yet, not much mockery #YouAtYourBest
— Matt Stanbury (@thepubliclawyer) April 4, 2017
One Cambridge law lecturer wasn’t sure the social media campaign was all that appropriate:
If I had just received a prison sentence, I'm not sure #YouAtYourBest would strike quite the right note… https://t.co/9MkZ2QDPV5
— Dr Hannah Quirk (@HannahQuirk1) April 3, 2017
While another tweeter simply used the hashtag to have a go at Truss:
When is Liz Truss going to resign? #LizAtHerBest #YouAtYourBest
— cf. (@__crimfan__) April 4, 2017
Oh dear, but the MoJ isn’t the only butt of lawyers’ jokes this week. The CPS has launched #DiscoverCPS, which hopes to teach tweeters about the work prosecutors do using an A-Z format. Yesterday’s letter was A for advocates, while today is B for bad character. A nice sentiment, but solicitor Tim Burrows had other ideas:
"A" is for yet "another" forgotten bad character application and application to adjourn as forgotten to warn witnesses #discovercps
— timburrows (@timburrows19) April 3, 2017
So too did this barrister:
@timburrows19 "G" is for 'Give it to counsel' – overnight if at all possible – when it needs 3 days preparation. #discoverCPS
— DefenceSylph (@carnybull) April 3, 2017
@Barristerblog 'B' is for 'Backstab' or 'Blame it on counsel'
(who didn't spout 'Witness Guidance' for at least an hour before trial).#discoverCPS— DefenceSylph (@carnybull) April 4, 2017
Prosecution and defence specialist Kim Evans also threw in her two cents:
#DiscoverCPS
Today's letter is A for Advocaat pic.twitter.com/qOZU076yAi— Kim Evans (@SistahInLaw) April 3, 2017
Lawyers are already beginning to speculate what tomorrow’s word, beginning with C, will be:
What is your choice for @cpsuk next letter ('C') of their #DiscoverCPS series? 😉
— Jonathan S (@majorleak2017) April 4, 2017
We are glued to our screens.
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