Social Media: The Unnamed Plaintiff

Abstract

A recent development of a different kind than usually covered here is the emergent voice of social media and social activism and the role it plays in the judicial process where there is conflict over the treatment of a child. The legal position is that, at all times, the best interests of the child must be the focus of all debate but attention is increasingly being diverted to the management of large scale social media campaigns and the clamor of voices (including those of the President of the United States, the Pope, and the Italian Ambassador to the United Kingdom). The result being that the realities of the condition of the vulnerable child at the heart of the debate pales in the face of emotional rhetoric.

Keywords: Best interests, Judicial process, Decision-making, Social media

JEL Classification: K10