court of public opinion

English

Noun

court of public opinion (plural courts of public opinion)

1. (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^[1], 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^[2], 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^[3], 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, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• “court of public opinion”, in Collins English Dictionary.