#rantsandreckons today before the Justice committee on the English Language Bill. 🤓

Great to join with @mikejoyecologist.bsky.social and @andrewlensen.bsky.social for coffee today — in an informal mtg of @vicuniwgtn.bsky.social’s critic-and-conscience club. To congratulate Andrew on his recent award success + to chew fat re ups-and-downs of s268(2)(d)(i)(E) of Education Act 2020. 🤓

Superb analysis (and wit). 🤓

Just finished and despatched a chapter on the Covid-19 pandemic — hopefully the last ever on the topic. 🤓🦠

Excited for this panel tonight at BF. 🌈

#finaleditsday 🤓

#rantsandreckons 🤓 #ponekecalling 🐝 #freedomofinfo 📑

NZSC to release judgment in Tamihere v R [2026] NZSC 22 at 2.00 pm on 31 March 2026: sen.nz/4rw89p

#cubadupa #liquorban #section169direction

#cmonetc 🏉💛🖤

An exciting day at law school @vicuniwgtn.bsky.social as our LAWS522 Public Law Hons/LLM class, starting on pathway toward producing a research paper by Oct. Today we start with background papers, where students brief on developments in field, helping folk find lines of inquiry for their research.

Hmmm. This week I retold the story — to astonished faces — of how Muldoon once appeared in the Rocky Horror Picture Show, as the narrator (and alongside Russell Crowe btw). I guess some folk didn’t know that dimension of Sir Robert? teara.govt.nz/en/photograp...

I’m uneasy about this expanded police power to close accessible areas (formerly roads) — justified in the name of addressing boy racers etc but broad enough, I think, to shut down public protests etc.

Late night submission writing…. #fml

Exciting night at @vicuniwgtn.bsky.social as top-notch achievement and special contributions by hoamahi are acknowledged.

(1/2) High Court finds: Ministry of Health breached 2018 agreement with College of Midwives for fair and reasonable remuneration; LMC midwives unlawfully discriminated against on basis of sex under s 19 of Bill of Rights Act. Declarations made; midwives entitled to monetary damages. sen.nz/0s0wn3

Hmm... (filling in some footnotes). Curious to note: 1. First Covid-19 briefing was on 27 Jan 2020, with Dr Ashley Bloomfield and Dr Caroline McElnay. 2. First from Jacinta Ardern as PM was on 14 Mar 2020. 3. First Ardern/Bloomfield duo briefing was, I think, 29 Mar 2020 (first death).

PM Panel: Improving Democratic Processes, chaired by Simon Wright of @trustdemocracy.nz, feat. @drdeanknight.bsky.social, @fleurfitzsimons.bsky.social and Dr Andrew Butler KC. Probably my favourite panel of the day, looking at ways we can address some of the many problems facing NZ's democracy.

NZ democracy reform 1) lift MP capacity to discuss/listen w training & just more people! @drdeanknight.bsky.social 2) retain ability of public service/unions to engage with citizens & democratise workplaces @fleurfitzsimons.bsky.social 3)deliver for people via deliberation not parties A Butler

Happy Otago Anniversary day to all who celebrate- I’m enjoying listening to @bmhayward.bsky.social @drdeanknight.bsky.social @duncanwebbmp.bsky.social @maxrashbrooke.bsky.social and many others speak on democracy- how to increase engagement and trust

Six years on and still writing about — and thus still re-living this stuff. 🥺

#lazyweb Who has the best diagram of our system of government in Aotearoa New Zealand? That, Sov plus branches of govt plus related institutions and offices etc? 🤔

Paywall now lifted: NZ has rejected post-pandemic changes to the WHO's global health rules without providing a reason, making it one of just five countries to do so. "This is reputation-wrecking. People will think that we’ve lost our mind," says former PM Helen Clark. newsroom.co.nz/2026/03/18/n...

Editing by candlelight 🕯️

Grateful for this from Roger Partridge but now can't work out whether I'm: (a) Not one those who "understand it best" because I don't see recent developments as existential threats; or (b) Cultivating a craven silence because I seek professional advantage. But it has to be one or the other!

A bit late, but here is my remembrance celebrating Habermas and his work after his passing on Saturday. He will be missed, now more than ever

Yusss. 🐓🏉💙

🐝

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Buzzed by a helicopter 🚁 — so much so the building shook like a 5.0 earthquake (earlier, before video). 😱

Bless.

The Covid-19 Royal Commission has broadly backed the decisions taken during the pandemic, while identifying areas for improvement.

In their own words. A summary of the Phase 2 report of the Royal Commission into Covid-19 (under narrower terms of reference than Phase 1 and only looking at key decisions between Feb 2021 and Oct 2022, not the first year of the pandemic): youtu.be/k_-lGh2Sgqk?...

💯 But be careful what you wish for… 😅

Sir Geoffrey Palmer explaining what he thinks is the Waitangi Tribunal's biggest contribution over the last 50 years

Do we have an official hashtag / emoji for a delighted-etc-humble-brag? Neck deep in teaching + scribbles atm but nice to get a couple of citations: in Covid-19 Royal Commission Phase 2 report and HC’s Kapa-Kingi v Te Pati Māori ruling (though judge revealed himself as part of anti-intensity crowd).

The Covid-19 Royal Commission's second report has been published, I've read (almost) all of it and here are the key takeaways: newsroom.co.nz/2026/03/10/l...

🍿 www.courtsofnz.govt.nz/assets/cases...

Excited today to see my friend and our Dean, Prof @geoffmclay.bsky.social, making a rare appearance in the Supremes, re an appeal from Victims’ Special Claims Tribunal re an award of compensation under the Prisoners’ and Victims’ Claims Act 2005. www.courtsofnz.govt.nz/assets/cases...

Why the h*ck doesn't @microsoftoffice365.bsky.social have Schedule Send on Outlook Classic?!?! Drives me absolutely crazy! 😡

#rants-and-reckons 🤓

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#lazyweb I am working on a final sentence that equates Cabinet and ministers to the busy bees working the hive — for obvious metonymic reasons. But it’s not quite landing? Help?

Ākonga at Vic: see advert for research assistants etc ℹ️ www.linkedin.com/posts/facult...