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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/nov/04/enemies-of-the-people-british-newspapers-react-judges-brexit-ruling
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British newspapers react to judges' Brexit ruling: 'Enemies of the people' | |
(about 3 hours later) | |
On Thursday morning, the high court ruled that parliament – and not the prime minister by use of prerogative powers – would need to trigger Article 50 to start the UK’s exit from the European Union. | On Thursday morning, the high court ruled that parliament – and not the prime minister by use of prerogative powers – would need to trigger Article 50 to start the UK’s exit from the European Union. |
On Thursday evening, a portion of the British media exercised its own prerogative: to attack the judges behind the ruling. | On Thursday evening, a portion of the British media exercised its own prerogative: to attack the judges behind the ruling. |
DAILY MAIL: Enemies of the people #tomorrowspaperstoday #bbcpapers pic.twitter.com/n5ynFalnEa | DAILY MAIL: Enemies of the people #tomorrowspaperstoday #bbcpapers pic.twitter.com/n5ynFalnEa |
Some lawyers and legal experts thought “enemies of the people” was perhaps a little over the top: | Some lawyers and legal experts thought “enemies of the people” was perhaps a little over the top: |
Here's a reasoned piece of journalism (not): pic.twitter.com/Td2dZ3Yz8S | Here's a reasoned piece of journalism (not): pic.twitter.com/Td2dZ3Yz8S |
This is getting completely out of hand. If The Daily Mail speaks of Judges as enemies of the people, democracy is being undermined. Shame! | This is getting completely out of hand. If The Daily Mail speaks of Judges as enemies of the people, democracy is being undermined. Shame! |
"We want UK judges deciding on UK legal matters!"- UK judges decide on UK legal matters."ENEMIES OF THE PEOPLE!" | "We want UK judges deciding on UK legal matters!"- UK judges decide on UK legal matters."ENEMIES OF THE PEOPLE!" |
Others homed in on the finer detail: | Others homed in on the finer detail: |
Is the free GIANT map of Britain for use when we're hunting down the ENEMIES OF THE STATE? pic.twitter.com/ibe8FssjLL | Is the free GIANT map of Britain for use when we're hunting down the ENEMIES OF THE STATE? pic.twitter.com/ibe8FssjLL |
"I mean, being OPENLY GAY is one thing but... WORKED WITH TONY BLAIR???" 😱 | "I mean, being OPENLY GAY is one thing but... WORKED WITH TONY BLAIR???" 😱 |
How about that fencing, though? | How about that fencing, though? |
If the worst they can say about you is you're an OPENLY GAY EX-OLYMPIC FENCER TOP JUDGE, you've basically won life. pic.twitter.com/j8tUTjODuP | If the worst they can say about you is you're an OPENLY GAY EX-OLYMPIC FENCER TOP JUDGE, you've basically won life. pic.twitter.com/j8tUTjODuP |
The Telegraph also pits the judges against “the people” and turns them blue, to hammer home an unspecified point: | The Telegraph also pits the judges against “the people” and turns them blue, to hammer home an unspecified point: |
"Do they look evil enough?""I was thinking the same.""Try a blue filter.""There we go." pic.twitter.com/wk1EChkTzP | "Do they look evil enough?""I was thinking the same.""Try a blue filter.""There we go." pic.twitter.com/wk1EChkTzP |
There are, though, reasons beyond the fact that they’re silly to object to headlines like these: | There are, though, reasons beyond the fact that they’re silly to object to headlines like these: |
Daily Mail - a U.K. news organisation - in complete opposition to the rule of law : https://t.co/ahWjMy6jvT | Daily Mail - a U.K. news organisation - in complete opposition to the rule of law : https://t.co/ahWjMy6jvT |
Today's a bad day for the constitutionNot because of #Brexit case but attacks on independent judiciary & rule of law pic.twitter.com/f1ohqkGXNi | Today's a bad day for the constitutionNot because of #Brexit case but attacks on independent judiciary & rule of law pic.twitter.com/f1ohqkGXNi |
Editors of @Telegraph might want to ask (fired) colleagues in Hungary or Turkey what its like to run a paper in country w/o rule of law. https://t.co/GJnRSj22JK | Editors of @Telegraph might want to ask (fired) colleagues in Hungary or Turkey what its like to run a paper in country w/o rule of law. https://t.co/GJnRSj22JK |
Mind you, Kelemen is professor of political science and Jean Monnet chair in European Union politics at Rutgers University, New Jersey, and sounds suspiciously like one of those “experts”. As does this Bagehot chap: | Mind you, Kelemen is professor of political science and Jean Monnet chair in European Union politics at Rutgers University, New Jersey, and sounds suspiciously like one of those “experts”. As does this Bagehot chap: |
The Telegraph versus Walter Bagehot https://t.co/v7XXtL2Dw8 | The Telegraph versus Walter Bagehot https://t.co/v7XXtL2Dw8 |
Telegraph columnist (but pro-Remainer) Mary Riddell appears to be giving Friday’s edition a miss: | Telegraph columnist (but pro-Remainer) Mary Riddell appears to be giving Friday’s edition a miss: |
Ignore anti-judge venom in tomorrow's press, and give thanks for an independent judiciary upholding the principles of our democracy | Ignore anti-judge venom in tomorrow's press, and give thanks for an independent judiciary upholding the principles of our democracy |
Meanwhile, over in Daily Express-land: | Meanwhile, over in Daily Express-land: |
The opening paragraph is quite possibly the biggest overreaction in newspaper history. pic.twitter.com/VgUj6vr5bW | The opening paragraph is quite possibly the biggest overreaction in newspaper history. pic.twitter.com/VgUj6vr5bW |
Spare your pinch-zoom fingers; here’s that first paragraph: | Spare your pinch-zoom fingers; here’s that first paragraph: |
Today this country faces a crisis as grave as anything since the dark days when Churchill vowed we would fight them on the beaches. | Today this country faces a crisis as grave as anything since the dark days when Churchill vowed we would fight them on the beaches. |
It’s not just as bad as the second world war, though, as the Express goes on: | It’s not just as bad as the second world war, though, as the Express goes on: |
Truly, November 3 2016 was the day democracy died. | Truly, November 3 2016 was the day democracy died. |
Onward to dystopia then: | Onward to dystopia then: |
The front page attacks on the 3 judges for basically just doing their job is scary. This is fast becoming a dystopian land. | The front page attacks on the 3 judges for basically just doing their job is scary. This is fast becoming a dystopian land. |
Being told to also check out the Express and Telegraph front pages. Not sure my poor, defeated, British heart can take it. | Being told to also check out the Express and Telegraph front pages. Not sure my poor, defeated, British heart can take it. |
By contrast, the Sun’s take is fairly tame, plumping for the cosy familiarity of foreigners, elites and a blink-and-that’ll-be-funnier-than-actually-seeing-it pun. It’s almost as if they don’t genuinely believe that Brexit has been blocked after all. | By contrast, the Sun’s take is fairly tame, plumping for the cosy familiarity of foreigners, elites and a blink-and-that’ll-be-funnier-than-actually-seeing-it pun. It’s almost as if they don’t genuinely believe that Brexit has been blocked after all. |
THE SUN: Who do EU think you are? #tomorrowspaperstoday #bbcpapers pic.twitter.com/WlOx5URDZa | THE SUN: Who do EU think you are? #tomorrowspaperstoday #bbcpapers pic.twitter.com/WlOx5URDZa |