As Helen Duffett already blogged earlier today on Lib Dem Voice, a combination of the Guardian’s legal team and Twitter users worldwide combined today to restore some element of common-sense to the law – allowing the media to report a Parliamentary question tabled by Paul Farrelly asking about the publication of the Minton Report on the alleged dumping of toxic waste in the Ivory Coast, commissioned by Trafigura.

In one sense, Trafigura and its lawyers Carter Ruck behaved shamefully in attempting to gag newspapers from reporting on Parliamentary proceedings. But in another, more profound, sense we should be grateful. As a result of their cack-handed attempts to silence The Guardian, hundreds of thousands, probably millions, of people now know about the serious allegations against Trafigura. Quite simply, this would not have been possible without the active role played by Trafigura and Carter Ruck.

It seems entirely appropriate, therefore, to say thank you to Trafigura for its role in exposing the company to far greater reputational risk than could have ever been achieved by one article published in a single newspaper. Hopefully, the overwhelming response to Trafigura’s counter-productive injunction will act as a warning to other companies considering using such blunt legal action in the future.

One way of re-inforcing the public Twitter response is to send a thank you card to Trafigura – and to mark the occasion, we at LDV have produced a special postcard you can download and print off to help get the message across. To download a Word version, please click here. The text of the postcard is as below:

Dear #Trafigura,

Thanks for making sure the actions of your lawyers mean I got to hear about your record today, 13th October, 2009.

Previously, I had heard almost nothing about the publication of the Minton report you commissioned on the alleged dumping of toxic waste in the Ivory Coast. As a result of your injunction against The Guardian, I now know much, much more.

Much obliged,

[Your name]