court of public opinion
English
Noun
court of public opinion (plural courts of public opinion)
- (idiomatic) The news media and the public at large, seen as being able to deliver a judgement on someone in the manner of a judge.
- Synonym: court of world opinion
- 1998 June 25, Steve Lohr, Marjorie Connelly, “Most Approve Of Microsoft, A Poll Shows”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 2022-05-24:
- In the court of public opinion, the burden of proof clearly rests on the side of the Government to show that Microsoft has done anything illegal.
- 2015 December 1, Jacob Steinberg, “Roehampton must face facts after new tennis breed fails to flourish”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 2018-11-23:
- After ending Great Britain's 79-year wait for the Davis Cup, Andy Murray revealed that he discovered a ghost town when he visited the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton a couple of months ago, and his verbal volley has pushed the Lawn Tennis Association into a vulnerable position in the court of public opinion.
- 2021 July 31, Amanda Knox, “Who Owns Amanda Knox?”, in The Atlantic, archived from the original on 2022-11-04:
- I had been acquitted in a court of law, but sentenced to life by the court of public opinion as, if not a killer, then at least a slut, or a nutcase, or a tabloid celebrity.
Further reading
- “the court of public/world opinion”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
- “court of public opinion”, in Collins English Dictionary.