No words
A family lawyer has really felt the wrath of the legal Twitterati this morning, after he tweeted a photo suggesting that the Queen and Prince Philip are “two candidates for anyone’s death list”.
In a change from this morning’s usual #FridayFeeling tweets, non-practising solicitor and family law blogger John Bolch shocked everyone when he retweeted an amiable post from 1KBW barrister Philip Marshall QC.
On this splendid day, we celebrate HM the Queen's 90th birthday and the 95th birthday of HRH the Duke of Edinburgh pic.twitter.com/JvSvG44rwc
— PJM QC (@pjm1kbw) June 10, 2016
But, instead of simply retweeting the birthday message, Bolch added this caption.
Two candidates for anyone's death list… https://t.co/08dbyiM3dJ
— John Bolch (@johnbolch) June 10, 2016
The early morning tweet has been met with revulsion from the online legal community.
@pjm1kbw @johnbolch : Absolutely disgraceful – beneath contempt.
— James Turner QC (@JamesTurner37) June 10, 2016
@johnbolch @pjm1kbw What exactly is a 'death list'? Does it contain people you wish dead? How awful. Nothing funny about that at all.
— Byron James (@byron_barrister) June 10, 2016
You really think that's appropriate? A death list? I am frankly appalled @johnbolch
— PJM QC (@pjm1kbw) June 10, 2016
@johnbolch @byron_barrister @pjm1kbw John I didn't like that post. As a republican it's the institution I wish to end, not the individuals
— Norma Laming (@TheSandlings) June 10, 2016
But Bolch doesn’t seem to mind. The University of Reading graduate dismissed the remark as a bit of “black-humoured fun”, and called the intense reaction a “sense of humour failure“. He later tweeted:
To the people who don't know what a 'death list' is, I suggest you get out more. ?
— John Bolch (@johnbolch) June 10, 2016
Rather morbidly, Prince Philip does actually appear at number 16 of the UK’s official 2016 DeathList, alongside the likes of social activist Desmond Tutu, entertainer Bruce Forsyth, and physicist Stephen Hawking.