Women’s rights barrister faces suspension for accusing judge of ‘boys’ membership’ attitude

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More than 60 attorneys, campaigners, politicians and teachers are backing a ladies’s rights lawyer who faces suspension after difficult a judge for having “a boys’ club” attitude in a ruling on a home abuse case.

Charlotte Proudman, a household legislation lawyer who specialises in violence towards ladies, vented on social media that Sir Jonathan Cohen downplayed home abuse to which her consumer claimed she had been subjected by her ex-husband.

She was angered by the judge referring to their relationship as “tempestuous” and his use of the phrase “reckless” to explain the alleged home violence.

The 35-year-old lawyer is now being investigated by the Bar Standards Board, the regulatory physique for barristers in England and Wales, and faces shedding her licence for a yr, or having a high quality imposed, over her feedback.

In the tweet thread that triggered the disciplinary proceedings to be launched, Dr Proudman stated: “I do not accept the judge’s reasoning. This judgment has echoes of the ‘boys’ club’ which still exists among men in powerful positions.”

She was conscious Sir Jonathan belonged to the Garrick Club – a non-public members’ membership which has confronted ongoing criticism for refusing to simply accept ladies members – when she fired off the tweet thread in April 2022. Dr Proudman misplaced the household legislation case.

Several high-profile supporters have now referred to as for the Bar Standards Board to drop the disciplinary investigation. Labour MP Apsana Begum and ladies’s rights activists Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu and Dr Helen Pankhurst are amongst those that have signed the letter to the physique, solely shared with The Independent.

The letter argues the accusations levied towards Dr Proudman are “oppressive” and “unjust” and warns she seems to have been “targeted unfairly by those in power to silence dissent and maintain control”.

It states: “We do not believe that Dr Proudman’s comments about a judgement by Sir Jonathan Cohen undermine the integrity of the system or reduce confidence in it; to the contrary, we believe it takes immense integrity to publicly defend a vulnerable individual from a judge who holds significant power.

“We ask the Bar Standards Board to withdraw its misguided prosecution and to issue a formal and public apology to Dr Proudman.”

The letter additionally voices “concern and dismay” that the board has launched disciplinary proceedings, arguing the “charges undermine the principles of free speech and accountability by tamping down criticism”.

It additionally calls for all judges and authorized professionals to cancel their membership on the “discriminatory” Garrick Club so that they “comply with the principles of justice they are sworn to uphold”.

“It is not lost on us that an individual who has been critical of the judicial treatment of women is being bullied by the very institution publicly claiming to end it,” the letter states.

Dr Proudman, who has virtually 85,000 Twitter followers, denies all the costs towards her.

Speaking to The Independent final yr, Dr Proudman hit out on the Bar Standards Board for not taking motion towards colleagues who verbally abused her in foul-mouthed rants on Twitter.

The lawyer reported greater than 50 barristers, who have been predominantly male, to the physique over a collection of public messages. She believes the criticism is “an attempt to silence” her from talking out about violence towards ladies and women.

But regardless of being acknowledged as “unpleasant and inflammatory”, the board stated it will not take motion as a result of the messages don’t meet the edge for regulatory motion.

Tweets despatched by presently practising and retired attorneys, seen by The Independent, model Dr Proudman a “c***t”, a “w*****”, a “narcissist”, and “dreadful” — in addition to accuse her of “idiocy”.

The Bar Standards Board stated it doesn’t touch upon ongoing disciplinary proceedings.

The Independent has contacted the judiciary press workplace for remark.