VP

One small bit from a report on the Bar Standards Board’s rejection of Jolyon Maugham’s attempt to punish and silence Sarah Phillimore:

The Good Law Project criticised the decision, saying it had brought the complaint after taking advice from counsel, including a King’s Counsel, and maintained that the conduct amounted to harassment. It said it would ask the regulator to refer its decision to an independent reviewer and, if necessary, pursue judicial review proceedings.

The organisation said the complaint formed part of a wider campaign addressing the treatment of trans individuals online and argued that regulators should take stronger action where lawyers’ public conduct risks harm to vulnerable people.

But who are the vulnerable people here?

Obviously “the organisation” aka Jolyon Maugham is framing trans people as vulnerable and Sarah Phillimore as invulnerable, but that is utterly grotesque. The loudest angriest shoutiest trans people are men, and Sarah Phillimore is a woman. Is it really the case that angry shouty men are vulnerable in relation to women? Is it really true that a woman has more power and clout and establishment backup than loud angry shouty men? Just by virtue of the fact that the men are trans and the woman says they are nevertheless men?

I don’t think that’s how “vulnerable” works.