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Saturday 09 April 2016

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Amal Clooney and her robes: A tale told in tweets

The human rights lawyer was asked by our Brussels reporter about a media circus over her appearance, and what she might be wearing, in the European court. She replied: I am wearing Ede and Ravenscroft. A mini internet frenzy resulted

Amal Alamuddin Clooney, left, and Geoffrey Robertson arrive for the hearing in the case Perincek vs Switzerland at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg, France. The European Court of Human Rights holds a Grand Chamber Hearing in the case between Turkish political activist Dogu Perincek and Switzerland concerning freedom of expression. Perincek was convicted by a Swiss court following comments denying the Armenian Genocide during a visit in Switzerland 2007.
Amal Alamuddin Clooney, left, and Geoffrey Robertson arrive for the hearing in the case Perincek vs Switzerland Photo: EPA

Amal Clooney, the human rights lawyer, is representing Armenia in the case against a Turkish Leftist politician accused of genocide denial after he called the 1915 genocide of up to 1.5 million Armenians an "international lie" in 2005.

Doğu Perinçek, chairman of the Turkish Workers' Party, was found guilty in a Swiss court in 2008 of racial discrimination relating to his denial but the European Court of Human Rights said in December 2013 this was in violation of his Article 10 right to freedom of expression.

On Wednesday, Mrs Clooney, with Geoffrey Robertson QC and a Doughty Street Chambers team, was at a hearing appealing the ECHR decision.

But the controversial issue of Turkey and the Armenian genocide appears to have been overshadowed somewhat by a tweet. This is the tale of the tweet and its aftermath.

I arrived at the court on Wednesday morning.

I note the opposing Turkish and Armenian demonstrations outside the court.

The European Court of Human Rights has been turned into a red carpet and media circus, this becomes a theme.

She arrives. Again I note the circus in a court that the media, and certainly paparazzi, are not usually interested in. I know, I've covered hearings here before.

Unsurprisingly she’s wearing a barrister's court robes. I note it on Twitter, with some sarcasm directed at the photographer frenzy and following recent headlines over a red Versace jacket she wore on her way to Stasbourg.

I start live tweeting the hearing and the arguments made.

A few minutes later I’m stopped from live tweeting.

I get an illicit tweet in as Amal Clooney speaks.

A few minutes afterwards there is a break in the hearing.

I went and spoke to Geoffrey Robertson QC and Amal Clooney. She is keen to leave him to discuss the case, as he is the lead lawyer, the QC.

We do and we also discuss the implications of a European court ruling (Goodwin v. UK, 1996) in relation to the protection of sources and the recent seizure of journalists’ phone records by the Metropolitian police.

I ask him about the media circus. He expresses surprise at the number of photographers in the court. I joke about the frenzy.

“I think they expected you turn up in Versace,” I said to her. She replied…

Ede and Ravenscroft is the famous English company of legal robe makers and tailors since 1689.

In our full coverage of the hearing, I also quote Mr Robertson. He makes the point that the case is serious one and she is there in her role as a respected barrister.

Mr Robertson said he was was surprised at the rows of photographers when legal teams entered the court, which does not generally excite press attention or attract packs of photographers.

He said he was pleased that coverage of the case would focus attention on Mrs Clooney's career as a lawyer rather than her private life as the wife of a Hollywood actor and director.

“It is not about white gloves or yachts. It puts the record straight, she is a human rights lawyer,” he said.

Celebrity obsessed-BuzzFeed do their take based on the one tweet, with a bit of trademark snark.

Many copy the Buzzfeed story, from Huffington Post to the Independent and beyond, to France, Italy and Australia.

The story grows in the telling, eventually Harper's Bazaar pick up the tale of the “dumb” reporter. Presumably there’s some score settling between traditional newspaper reporters and entertainment, celebrity journalism going on.

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