Jacqueline Davies | |
---|---|
Born | 21 May 1948 |
Nationality | British |
Occupation | Circuit judge |
Spouse | Paul Clark (?ndash;2008; his death) |
Jacqueline Davies styled Her Honour Judge Jacqueline Davies (21 May 1948 – 18 April 2019) [1] [2] is a Circuit Judge, working in the North Eastern region of the UK. She was appointed on 29 June 1993. [3]
On 11 November 2010 Judge Jacqueline Davies, sitting with two magistrates, refused an appeal against the verdict of the " Twitter Joke Trial", from Paul Chambers who had posted a message on Twitter saying: [4]
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!!
Chambers was appealing his conviction for "sending a public electronic message that was grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character contrary to the Communications Act 2003" [5] at Doncaster magistrates court [6]
When Judge Davies heard the appeal in Doncaster Crown Court she judged that the tweet was "obviously menacing" [7] and that Chambers must have known that it might be taken seriously. [8] She upheld the £1000 fine, and ordered that he pay an extra £2000 in legal costs. [9]
Many members of Twitter registered their disapproval of the judgement, and Stephen Fry offered to pay the defendant's legal bill. [9]
Judge Davies' decision was reversed on appeal in the High Court by decision dated 27 July 2012. The 13 page judgment by Lord Chief Justice Lord Judge, stated: [10] [11]
We have concluded that, on an objective assessment, the decision of the Crown Court that this 'tweet' constituted or included a message of a menacing character was not open to it. On this basis, the appeal against conviction must be allowed.
Judge Davies was married to Judge Paul Clark who died on 7 October 2008 [12]
In 2009 Judge Davies took part in a charity walk across the Sinai Desert in memory of her husband and to raise money for Prostate UK and Wellbeing of Women. [13]