Watchdog finds Holocaust tweet by solicitor ‘not discriminatory’

A  watchdog investigating a tweet about the Shoah by a legal firm in Oldham said it found no issue of misconduct following a complaint.

Johnson’s Solicitors attracted media coverage in January following backlash to a tweet posted in response to a survey claiming one in 20 Britons did not believe the Holocaust took place.

“This is sad, but not surprising, when people feel they can’t question the Holocaust openly without fear of being accused of Holocaust Denial and Antisemitism [sic]. Lies and conspiracy theories thrive on censorship,” it read.

The tweet provoked outrage, with human rights barrister Adam Wagner saying: “What kind of questioning of the Holocaust are you hoping that people would be able to do?”

Paul Johnson of Johnson’s Solicitors said he was “very sorry” for any upset caused, adding that the comment had been misrepresented.

“I was not saying it is sad that people can’t question the Holocaust. That is an accusation by you based on your misinterpretation of my words,” he said.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority investigated the tweet following a complaint earlier this year and found it was not discriminatory, it has been revealed today.

“The communications were not personal or targeted attacks on any individual and did not satisfy any of the aggravating features,” the watchdog said.

“Therefore, it is our view that they do not amount to misconduct. In other words, the specific communications above are not sufficiently serious to be capable of resulting in regulatory action. For these reasons, our files relating to these matters have been closed.”

Johnson’s Solicitors was contacted for comment but did not immediately reply.