On January 6, the snow-induced closure of Robin Hood airport led Paul Chamber to tweet, "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!!" While intended (and interpreted by friends) as a joke, the tweet led to a police visit at Chambers's doorstep a week later.
Initially, it looked like Chambers might be charged under bomb hoax and anti-terrorism legislation. However, according to The Guardian, Chambers was instead charged using a law that was aimed at nuisance calls. This law dates back to the 1930s.
In her appellate ruling, Judge Jacqueline Davis found that Chambers's tweet contained menace and that he should have known it could be taken seriously. The Guardian quotes Judge Davis as saying, "[The tweet was] menacing in its content and obviously so. It could not be more clear. Any ordinary person reading this would see it in that way and be alarmed."
In addition to his fine and conviction, Chambers has also been ordered to pay an additional £2,000 to cover the legal bills for the latest proceedings. Chambers and his legal team will be considering further appeal.
The line between free speech and yelling "fire" in a crowded theater is becoming less and less clear in the age of both anti-terrorism laws, and the public and global nature of social networking.
What do you think of the ruling? Let us know.