court of public opinion

plural courts of public opinion

1. idiomaticThe news media and the public at large, seen as being able to deliver a judgement on someone in the manner of a judge.

   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.

   1998 June 25, Steve Lohr, Marjorie Connelly, “Most Approve Of Microsoft, A Poll Shows”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 24 May 2022

   2 more examples

   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.

   2015 December 1, Jacob Steinberg, “Roehampton must face facts after new tennis breed fails to flourish”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 23 Nov 2018

   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.

   2021 July 31, Amanda Knox, “Who Owns Amanda Knox?”, in The Atlantic, archived from the original on 04 Nov 2022

   Synonyms: court of world opinion