Snarky description comes as Doughty Street barrister loses Al-Jazeera journo case
It has been a trying bank holiday weekend for Doughty Street junior Amal Clooney, who on Saturday saw her Al Jazeera journalist client, Mohamed Fahmy, handed a three year sentence for “broadcasting false news” that apparently harmed Egypt following the 2013 military coup.
Worse, in the eyes of some members of the Twitterati, was the Associated Press’ decision to refer to Clooney in the build-up to the judgment as an “actor’s wife”.
Amal Clooney, actor's wife, representing Al-Jazeera journalist accused in Egypt of ties to extremists http://t.co/i6nQg0xPg3
— The Associated Press (@AP) August 29, 2015
OK, so Amal, whose other half is of course ageing silver fox George, is no top QC. In fact, she’s not even a non-top QC — having only been called to the bar in 2010, it will be a while before she is a contender for silk.
But the rookie human rights barrister — who originally qualified as a US attorney, beginning her career at New York corporate firm Sullivan & Cromwell — surely deserves a better billing that “actor’s wife”. In its customary hysterical style, Twitter was quick to point this out.
!!! Fixed it for you @AP. Let me know if you need an introduction to the 21st century. https://t.co/Zj5K0ocvto pic.twitter.com/tgI27xGWhg
— Zeynep Tufekci (@zeynep) August 29, 2015
@AP it's a good job that when she's not being George Clooney's wife she's not like A HIGH PROFILE HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER or anything.
— Tim Stillman (@Stillberto) August 29, 2015
BREAKING: @AP Stuck in the 1950s When Women Were Valued on Who Their Husbands Were https://t.co/9f7VWi6Lbj
— Bulletproof Tiger (@TGRdnb) August 30, 2015
Since the Cairo court handed down its ruling, Clooney has done a host of press interviews calling for Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to pardon Fahmy and his two co-defendants. But will Twitter pardon the Associated Press, which so far has refused to remove its tweet?
