court of public opinion

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, 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, 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, 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.

• “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.