Professor David Miller wins legal bid to unmask critical Twitter user
Bristol's academic who accused Jewish students of being 'pawns of Israel', has won a High Court bid to reveal the identity of a Twitter critic
David Miller, the controversial Bristol academic who called for an ‘end to Zionism’, has won a High Court legal bid to disclose the identity of a critical social media user.
Miller, who is under investigation by bosses at the Russell Group university after calling its J-Soc “pawns” of Israel, had sought permission from the High Court to reveal the identity of Twitter user @habibi_uk.
The user published highly critical posts about Miller and his views.
In a ruling dated 30 March, Master Thornett ruled that Twitter must disclose the user’s email address, any names, IP address, and all the occasions that the account had been accessed.
He ruled that he was “satisfied that there is a prima facie case that an unknown party subscribing to the Respondent’s services has committed the wrongdoings alleged.”
Miller could now use the information to issue further legal claims against the individual.
Twitter did not resist the bid, known as a ‘Norwich Pharmacal’ order.
A sparsely-attended rally was held in defence of the academic at the university’s Wills Memorial Building last month.
A petition calling for the professor to face disciplinary action for his comments racked up nearly 9,000 signatures, while a high-profile ‘Hate Off Campus’ virtual rally organised by Jewish students saw the issue raised in the House of Commons.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
