Feminist family lawyer Dr Charlotte Proudman appeared before a disciplinary tribunal today over misconduct allegations in relation to a social media thread.
In the thread of tweets on social media website X, Proudman accused a judge of having a ‘boys club’ attitude in a family law case she lost. Proudman, appearing before a three-person panel chaired by His Honour Nicholas Ainley, denied five charges of misconduct.
Opening, Mark McDonald, for Proudman, said: ‘It is important to understand that the Tweets she sent out are part of an issue she has been writing about and addressing for the whole of her professional life.’
The Bar Tribunals and Adjudication Service hearing was told Proudman ‘led the charge to change things’, following the example of women who fought for admission to the legal profession before 1922.
McDonald added: ‘What Dr Proudman is doing is standing on the shoulders of these great women, pushing the boundaries. This is not simply about criticising a judge, it’s about expressing issues of gender discrimination and failing to expose these discriminatory acts. That’s what these articles and Tweets are all about.’
Proudman alleges the proceeding brought against her by the Bar Standards Board are an abuse of process. Two days of the four-day hearing will be dealing with an application to that effect.
The hearing continues.
