Renowned British writer J.K. Rowling recently criticized the approach of an Australian Chief Justice regarding the usage of female pronouns for male sex offenders in court. Chief Justice Chris Kourakis defended his court’s protocol, stating that it serves to enable legal practitioners to inform the court of their preferred gender pronouns to ensure respectful proceedings.
In response to the protocol, Rowling expressed her concerns about the requirement for female victims to refer to their male attackers using female pronouns. She argued that this practice is a form of state-sanctioned abuse that further traumatizes female victims of male violence by forcing them to speak a lie.
Justice Kourakis stated that Rowling misunderstood the protocol and affirmed that the judge retains control over all forms of address used in court. He also reassured that a victim of a crime would not be asked to address an accused person in a way that causes distress.
Rowling fired back, appreciating the reassurance but noted that the judge addressed the matter only after it became public. She pointed out that the practice note took the position that the use of preferred gender pronouns is a matter of respect, which implies that a woman could be considered guilty of disrespect for describing her male attacker as a man while all court officials address and describe him as a woman.
Rowling highlighted a case where a woman was chided by a judge for displaying ‘bad grace’ by not using her attacker’s preferred pronouns. She described the practice note as a clear clash of rights and criticized the courts’ failure to address the trauma experienced by female victims forced to hear their attackers addressed and described as females.
Senator Claire Chandler also chimed in, acknowledging the problematic nature of courts promoting the use of female pronouns for males involved in violent crimes against women and girls. She supported Rowling’s stance, claiming that this practice does not promote respect and undermines public confidence in the legal system.