Legalpost
A tactic where the perpetrator sets moving goalposts around legal evidence, jurisdiction, or procedure, demanding that the target produce legal documents, court rulings, or specific legal formats, and then dismissing them when provided. Legalposting often demands “proof” of harm in forms that are impossible for victims to obtain (e.g., court rulings from oppressive regimes), or it elevates procedural technicalities over substantive justice. It is used to exhaust human rights advocates and to shift debate from moral urgency to legal minutiae.
Example: “She provided reports from multiple human rights organizations; he said ‘those aren’t legal findings.’ When she cited international court rulings, he said ‘they don’t have jurisdiction here.’ Legalpost: moving goalposts to avoid engaging with substance.”
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