They really can't. If the argument is that code is law, the fork was implemented in code, so it's law. If their argument is that the white hat hacks shouldn't

They really can't. If the argument is that code is law, the fork was implemented in code, so it's law. If their argument is that the white hat hacks shouldn't have happened then they lay themselves open to the argument that their initial hack shouldn't have happened. And then there's how draconian unauthorised computer access laws tend to be...