Jewish lawyer resigns over link to abusive Twitter account

Daniel Bennett left Doughty Street Chambers over ties to the @arrytuttle social media profile which reportedly sent abuse to antisemitism campaigners

A Jewish barrister who part-operated an anonymous Twitter handle supportive of Jeremy Corbyn and dismissive of Labour antisemitism claims has resigned from his London chambers following complaints.

Daniel Bennett left Doughty Street Chambers after admitting he breached the barristers’ code of conduct owing to offensive and abusive posts sent from the @arrytuttle account.

The account user described themselves as “the wrong kind of Jew, apparently” and said Jew-hatred in the Labour Party was a “war largely against leftist Jews” and “not about antisemitism”.

Last month the account was deleted and Bennett apologised publicly to two other Jewish lawyers who he had offended – commercial barrister David Wolfson QC, with whom he went to school, and human rights barrister Adam Wagner.

Wagner, also of Doughty Street, said he was “shocked” to learn that @arrytuttle was in part operated by Bennett, after his involvement was revealed by another anonymous Twitter account, @TwelveScouts.

Among the accusations levelled at Wagner by the @arrytuttle account was that he was “thick as pigsh*t,” a “lying propogandist” and a “hater of leftist Jews” hired to “get Corbyn”.

On Tuesday, Wagner said Bennett had resigned from Doughty Street for “waging a campaign of anonymous harassment and abuse against me and others involved in the Labour antisemitism issue”.

Several barristers, including Wagner, had complained to the chambers last month, prompting Bennett to offer a “fulsome apology,” admit to breaches of the code and tender his resignation, which was accepted.

Wagner urged Twitter users not to send abusive messages to Bennett online, saying “two wrongs do not make a right,” adding that it had already been “an extremely distressing experience”.

He said: “I get a lot of this kind of abuse from anonymous accounts but to find out this was happening in my workplace is something else.”

I said I would give an update on Daniel Bennett and the @arrytuttle account. I can now confirm that he has resigned from Doughty Street Chambers following complaints. He has admitted a breach of our code of conduct. (thread)

— Adam Wagner KC (@AdamWagner1) August 20, 2019