Court hears appeal against Twitter joke conviction

A Doncaster man’s appeal against his controversial conviction for “menacing” communication, after a joke on Twitter, was heard at London’s High Court on Wednesday.

Comedians including Stephen Fry and Graham Linehan, writer of Father Ted, have helped to raise funds for Paul Chambers, 28, to take his legal fight forward because of their concerns about a possible clampdown by the authorities against the robust, humorous exchanges that are typical of Twitter.

“Because this is the first “appellate” case on what constitutes a “menacing” communication over the internet, the decision of the High Court will have potentially immense significance for any person who sends any content over the internet,” wrote Mr Chambers’ solicitor, David Allen Green, in a Lawyer article this week.

In November 2010, after Mr Chambers’ previous appeal was rejected, thousands of Twitter users simultaneously posted the offending message in an “I am Spartacus”-style protest.

Frustrated that snow had impeded the arrival of his girlfriend at Doncaster airport, Mr Chambers tweeted: “Crap! Robin Hood airport is closed. You’ve got a week and a bit to get your shit together otherwise I’m blowing the airport sky high!!”

Mr Chambers was fined £400 plus costs, now around £3,400, and was given a criminal record, which he said harmed his job prospects as a trainee accountant.

Ben Emmerson QC, appearing for Mr Chambers, told the court that the conviction was a “steamroller to crack a nut” and argued that the message should not be treated as threatening if it was meant as a joke.

But the prosecution argued that the short message lacked context and so could be misconstrued.

After a two hour hearing, Lord Justice Gross and Mr Justice Irwin retired to consider their verdict.