Mark Steyn can breathe easy

The legal duel between Mark Steyn and Michael 'Hockey Stick' Mann seems to have lasted longer than the Hundred Years War!  This is mainly due to Mann's prevarication encouraged by an utterly useless American judicial system.  However, help is at hand from, of all places, the Canadian judicial system.  It was in the Columbia Supreme Court, Vancouver, that a Canadian scientist, Dr. Tim Ball, who was even more sceptical of Mann's so-called 'science' than Steyn, defended himself against an exceedingly cunning legal manoeuvre known as a 'SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation)' libel suit.  However, the Court decided that if Michael Mann was to defend his infamous 'hockey stick' graph then he would have to hand over ALL of his background research - and they made that an order, not a polite request!

As Dr. Ball explains, “Michael Mann moved for an adjournment of the trial scheduled for February 20, 2017. We had little choice because Canadian courts always grant adjournments before a trial in their belief that an out of court settlement is preferable. We agreed to an adjournment with conditions. The major one was that he [Mann] produce all documents including computer codes by February 20th, 2017. He failed to meet the deadline.”

According to the report at 'Newscats.org' : "Mann’s now proven contempt of court means Ball is entitled to have the court serve upon Mann the fullest punishment. Contempt sanctions could reasonably include the judge ruling that Dr. Ball’s statement that Mann “belongs in the state pen, not Penn. State’ is a precise and true statement of fact. This is because under Canada’s unique ‘Truth Defense’, Mann is now proven to have wilfully hidden his data, so the court may rule he hid it because it is fake. As such, the court must then dismiss Mann’s entire libel suit with costs awarded to Ball and his team."

That popping sound you can hear in the distance is from the flying champagne corks near Mark Steyn's residence!

 

Comments

[mike fowle]

I wish it were so, David, but this is a somewhat over-excitable claim by John O'Sullivan and Mann's lawyer completely disputes it. It is discussed at Bishop Hill and Paul Homewood's sites. Best keep the champagne on ice for the present.

[missred]

hahahahahahhahahahahhahahhahahahahhahahahahah
deep breath
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahha
gasping for breath
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahah

[David Duff]

Thanks, Mike, you might well be right.

[Peter G]

I know that when I am seeking informed opinion on basics physics I always find it pays to solicit such from a retired geography professor. But only if a proctologist or a blogger is not available. For the record Dr Ball does not believe that carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. Even though this effect can be duplicated in a laboratory and no one has ever been able to get carbon dioxide not to behave as a greenhouse gas. Try to remember, if you can, that the scientific debate is about the origin of these gases, human or not, and not about whether they have the effect that everyone on the planet who is scientifically literate knows they do.

Have you considered offering a disquisition on the flatness of the Earth.

[Peter G]

I do believe that I also detect a kerning error. I believe your link was s suppose to be to New Scats. Seriously David is this the sort of place you rely on for insightful legal opinion? Was Alex Jones not available to offer a legal opinion?

[David Duff]

So do tell us, Peter, why is it, exactly and precisely, that Michael Mann resolutely refuses to show his background calculations that produced his, er, 'hockey stick'?

[Cuffleyburgers]

Peterg the point at issue is the credibility or otherwise of the absurd hockey stick, and the weight of legal and scientific opinion is now firmy on "otherwise".

Enough damage has now been done to western economies. Time to get back to coal.

[Whitewall]

"Enough damage has now been done to western economies". True. Somebody tell that idiot Mutti Merkel!

[Cuffleyburgers]

Whiters - I think Trump did!