The Magistrates Association, in a bid to promote inclusive communication, has raised eyebrows by urging staff and volunteers to steer clear of words like ‘policemen’ and ‘chairmen’. The Mail has more.
Words such as ‘policemen’ and ‘chairmen’ have been banned in barmy advice handed out by a court industry body.
The Magistrates Association told its staff and volunteers to avoid umbrella terms such as “black, Asian or minority ethnic groups”, which can be “unintentionally divisive”.
It also encouraged them to “describe someone’s sexual orientation in the terms they suggest”.
The 29-page document has sparked a backlash among free speech campaigners, who say it is being peddled by ‘woke warriors’. Toby Young, Director of the Free Speech Union, said: “People are sick to the back teeth of this obsession with policing people’s speech.
“Do these woke warriors really think they’ll dismantle the patriarchy if people start referring to policemen as police officers? The Magistrates Association should be focusing on getting through the backlog of cases and making sure anti-social behaviour is properly punished.”
The style guide, issued to staff in England and Wales, advises them to avoid using terms that might “cause upset”. They include using “died by suicide” instead of “committed suicide” or “taken their own life”.
Tom Franklin, Chief Executive of the Magistrates Association, said he wants the guide, published in September last year, to “be part of everyone’s working day”.
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