<<And when you have the mid air ... let's hope your family can pay the legal bills.>>
Well said. There are a few interesting Type A cases on here, with whom I pray to God I never, EVER have to fly.
In 31 years working in a busy TMA where bad weather is a regular occurrence I never once refused a pilot a weather deviation, although I often suggested an alternative to what was asked for. I only recall a handful who, irresponsibly, turned without saying anything. Some of the guys on here ought to spend an hour watching a busy radar sector in bad weather. A pilot friend of mine did.... and he came away very visibly shaken.
Every professional controller knows who is in command of an aircraft - many controllers are pilots too - but in appalling conditions the controller has to juggle weather avoidance with aircraft avoidance so please keep that in mind.