This is a long read but an important one for anyone interested in how the Court of Protection, or indeed any public service, interacts with families. It is a shocking and very frightening case and I'm hugely grateful to Zoe and to Celia for sharing it.

The BMA has published an updated policy position on the rights of transgender and non-binary people in healthcare settings. www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-s...

Next blog in our series teasing the chapters in our book, Narratives of Consent and Reproductive Subjects Tales of Invisibility. Today, Jacqueline Nicholls (UCL) shares her reflections on birthing people's and clinicians' perspectives on 'consent consultations'. www.durham.ac.uk/research/ins...

Are you working on a paper on law, history and reproduction? My great colleague Dr Gauri Pillai and I are organising a workshop for you at the University of Bristol Law School on 1 May 2026! Please send your abstract by 15 December 2025. Travel grants available.

Interested in learning more about how the court works and observing some hearings? Join us on Thursday (6th November) for a small and friendly webinar. We'll explain how to watch the court (via MS Teams etc) and how our "buddy" system works. All welcome. Email [email protected]

Next blog in our series reflecting on narratives of consent and the invisibilisation of reproductive subjects, and this time the author is me! Contains discount code for our edited collection - perfect for scholars, students and tricky-to-buy-for aunts alike. www.durham.ac.uk/research/ins...

Join us for a PhD in Oxford to decipher how a genetic-hormonal pas de deux drives pea pod growth and development. www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

On Monday 20-22 October 2025, the UK Supreme Court is being asked to re-consider its judgment in Cheshire West. In particular, the court is to be asked whether a person’s wishes and feelings can be taken as consent to their care arrangements 🧵

More power to @profangiehobbs.bsky.social – I hope this revival of The Great Philosophers brings about the rebirth of deep learning through television. Archived programming on YT from the 70s and 80s has been a gift for two whole decades, but it’s time to put philosophy back on the mainstream menu.

New blog post An urgent caesarean application in a disturbing case By @doccmartin.bsky.social openjusticecourtofprotection.org/2025/10/14/a...

First of a series of blog posts about my new edited book: Narratives of Consent and Reproductive Subjects: Tales of Invisibility is up now! Includes exclusive discount code for anyone wanting to start their Christmas shopping early! www.durham.ac.uk/research/ins...

On October 2025, the UK Supreme Court will be asked to re-consider its judgment in a case commonly referred to as "Cheshire West". In this blog, @clarkdaniel.bsky.social explains the background to the case. openjusticecourtofprotection.org/2025/10/07/r...

🧠 Prof. Marga Vicedo warns: "At the end of the day, saying it's a mother's fault is a very strong and powerful way of keeping mothers as the main caretakers." www.npr.org/2025/09/26/n... Must-read piece from @npr.org #Autism #Tylenol

Her husband gets a mention before we learn her name…

Please join me in congratulating Woman on her appointment

"For the next 15 years, give us a subsidy from public money, and remove the disincentive for us to stop dumping raw sewage, so our creditors are rescued from the consequences of their own greed" is not, I have to say, the world's most appealing pitch. www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Big congratulations to Chunk for taking the crown as this year's #FatBearWeek winner! Today feels like as good a day as any to tell you all about a little trick that bears have to ensure pregnancy takes place during OPTIMAL FATNESS.

"What you do makes a difference.." Jane Goodall 💚 #jane #goodall #janegoodall #nature #wildlife #environment #earth

I have ten of these PHYSICS FOR CATS pins to give away! Share the post below👇 for a chance to win one. (UK only: you can share from anywhere but I can't send you a pin).

The Motherhood Group on what Inclusion, Access and Communication should look like: ✨ Valuing lived experience and creating spaces where Black mothers are heard and respected. ✨ Compassionate, holistic care that integrates physical, emotional, and social wellbeing. #BlackMaternalMentalHealthWeek2025

Today in #BlackMaternalMentalHealthWeek, The Motherhood Group launch their rich and detailed UK Black Maternal Mental Health Report. Loads of information from the many projects they've run over the last 9 years: see the community action toolkit with recommendations across community & public services

People often express concerns that birth doulas are entirely unregulated, but the reality is a little more nuanced - as @bevclough.bsky.social & I unpack here: birthdoulas.mmu.ac.uk/2025/09/22/b...

Finally! 🤩 Our position piece: Against the Uncritical Adoption of 'AI' Technologies in Academia: doi.org/10.5281/zeno... We unpick the tech industry’s marketing, hype, & harm; and we argue for safeguarding higher education, critical thinking, expertise, academic freedom, & scientific integrity. 1/n

Following from our MLR workshop last year, @zainamahmoud.bsky.social and I are organising a workshop on embodiment & colonialism in November! We are grateful to the @slsauk.bsky.social for supporting this event and look forward to what we hope will be a great discussion.

On the theme of countering invisibility, I'm glad to support Black Maternal Mental Health Week UK 2025, led by The Motherhood Group (@TheMotherhoodGroup on Instagram/LinkedIn/TikTok). It’s time to #MakeBlackMothersVisible. #BlackMaternalMentalHealthWeek #BMMHW25 More: themotherhoodgroup.org/bmmhw25/

The Obstetric Violence Reading Group has been busy! We’ve explored publications by leading scholars that challenge and enrich how we think about #ObstetricViolence. Read our reflections in our blog series on the Obstetric Violence Blog www.durham.ac.uk/research/ins...

New Medical Justice report finds that failures in clinical safeguards put vulnerable people at unacceptable levels of risk and caused harm and suffering to people in immigration detention during 2024 medicaljustice.org.uk/annual-revie...

The vast majority of our clients detained under "one in, one out" scheme are survivors of torture and trafficking. Our independent clinicians have visited clients in immigration removal centres and found concerning levels of PTSD and suicidal thoughts www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Fantastic work here by @transsolidarity.bsky.social, highlighting the ridiculous burden the EHRC’s new Code of Practice would place on UK business, forcing them into trans-exclusionary practices that are “incompatible with modern business values”. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...

The United Nations Independent Commission of Inquiry concludes that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. The most significant finding of a UN body to date on genocide against the Palestinians. Full text of the report is here: www.ohchr.org/sites/defaul...

Now more people are back this seems like a good time to give another shout out about this NEW edited collection on consent in reproductive care, including chapters from @drsamhalliday.bsky.social @annanelson95.bsky.social @zainamahmoud.bsky.social @emmacave.bsky.social and more

Unfunded hobbyist researchers of the world, unite!

Today (Thursday 11 September 2025) at 5.30pm, we are running a small friendly webinar on how to observe (remote) hearings in the Court of Protection. Everyone welcome - if you'd like to join us just send us an email and we'll send you the link.

Are you a care leaver in Sutton? Or know one who might be interested in interning for an MP? I've advertising an internship for a dedicated, passionate care leaver in Sutton who wants to be part of our team making change in our local community. Details here: www.luketaylor.org.uk/careleaversi...

@equalityhumanright.bsky.social are withholding their consultation report till after the Code is a “done deal” But we sent copies of the public’s submissions direct to @bphillipsonmp.bsky.social & @niagriffith.bsky.social Any MPs can view this dossier *right now* Share this post and❗tag your MP❗

See this Young Academy-sponsored event on health inequity, focussing on: “What would it take to change the underrepresentation of pregnancy in medical research?” “What are the barriers to engaging with medical research during pregnancy?” More details here: www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/ukya_hos_dc/

The MA programme in Bioethics and Medical which I followed is recruiting for this year. The fact it was both super-accessible, with flexible/distance study options, and comparatively affordable, made it possible for me to access the course and unexpectedly changed my life for the better.

Thrilled to introduce my new book co-edited with @drsamhalliday.bsky.social and Jacqueline Nicholls - finally loose in the wild after a very long but productive gestation period. Available in a select number of good bookshops now! www.taylorfrancis.com/books/edit/1...

Very excited to share that I'll be part of the @britishacademy.bsky.social Summer Showcase. ICA London will be screening Celina Escher's documentary Fly So Far on Wed 18 Jun 2025 at 18:45, after which journalist Divya Talwar and I will talk all things abortion.

Our trans and non-binary colleagues, students, friends and siblings enrich our universities, our feminism and our lives in immeasurable and untold ways. We must not let hate win. Feminist academics and educators, add your names here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Pretty sickened by UK's Supreme Court 🤮 So I'm opening my submission inbox to unagented trans authors in the UK until the END OF APRIL. I'm not currently open to general subs BUT if you're a trans author writing folk horror, weird, experimental, mystery, literary/upmkt fiction, take a look below 👇

The U.K.’s first transgender judge, Dr Victoria McCloud, has announced plans to take the government to the European Court of Human Rights over the Supreme Court gender ruling

🚨We have a Google Form now for the letter about the UK Supreme Court trans ruling so you can add your signature & details yourself directly! Huge thanks to @joalo.bsky.social for sorting this! You can find a link to the letter and the form to add your signature here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Mahmoud Khalil’s wife Noor Abdalla gives birth as Ice denies his request to attend

New post for TDOV! I've uploaded copies of all the resources on trans-inclusive perinatal care published for the NHS in 2021 by the Brighton & Sussex Gender Inclusion Midwives. Plus, some newer resources and information. It's important that we continue to share and build on this important work.

...and here's my contribution for this year!

I have a post on Criminal Justice Theory Blog (@theoryjustice.bsky.social) about personhood theory and understanding wrongs of non-contact offences, here: image-based sexual abuse. Many thanks to @markedsouza1.bsky.social and Liat Levanon! criminaljusticetheoryblog.wordpress.com/2025/03/28/i...

Please do share amongst your networks, and pass along the invite to anyone who you think might be interested. Happy to answer any questions about the event!

CFA Philosophy of Medicine Roundtable Kings College London June 2nd and 3rd Submit 500 word anonymized abstracts by Feb 1 for a talk slot, there will also be a poster session docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F... Please share #hps #philosophy #philosophyofmedicine