📣 People are understandably up in the arms about this (it is horrible). But just want to wave a hand out there 👋 as we're going through the same thing in Humanities at Northumbria (1 out of 5 staff need to go by end of July). 1/?

It's much too late now to save large parts of Higher Education, but there's lots that can still be done if we stop and pause this madness. Otherwise most HE will just be concentrated in SE England at Oxbridge, LSE, Imperial, Kings and a few others. www.timeshighereducation.com/news/univers...

The cuts at Exeter University won't work. They never work. The high-ups will be back for more in a year or two, then even more a year or two after that. Unis just keep doing the same thing consultants tell them to do, over and over again. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Another day where I wish UK windows had shutters. Surely this has to come at some point soon!

A statement from Exeter UCU branch @ucu.org.uk - please share far and wide.

The destruction of UK universities, and especially of the arts and humanities, continues. Let‘s see if a new PM does anything differently - I won‘t hold my breath.

Immigrants do not have to contribute exceptionally to deserve safety Immigrants do not have to permanently grovel to their new country to justify their existence Immigrants are allowed to be just as mediocre, grumpy or homesick as anyone else

Last Friday I spoke to Henry Bonsu (Times Radio) about the preposterous claim that White British are discriminated against by the criminal justice system. www.thetimes.com/radio/show/2... From 19:45 to 25:59 #TwoTierPolicing

Absolutely agree with this. Back in Spain, one of my classes was taught by the VC at the time. It's possible! And he was just another Prof who had been elected by the staff to be VC for a few years. Again, it's possible to do things differently!! Who knew

Yes to this and to the suggestion below that they take on a normal load of personal tutees (30 odd for me now) and meet them all 2-4 times a year!

This. It should also be built into #TEF that if you hold an #academic title, then you are required to teach, regardless of position and wider duties. If not, then your university scores lower* * Not that any of these metrics (including #REF & #KEF too) have any actual value to #HigherEducation

A bit rich considering Macron and his allies have done and continue to do everything they can to normalise and legitimise the RN and their ideas. But I guess so does calling it "the populist right" rather than extreme right, racist and fascist.

This also tracks the graphs showing women beginning to take a higher percentage of the medical and university workforce at all levels and successive governments continuously insisting on devaluing labour in those professions so much so that statisticians might claim correlation ….

If you have an idea for #Specialissue or #ReviewEssay see 👇details lexnetwork.org homepage under #GenderandJustice

A really easy process. Took me about half a minute. Everyone in the UK please consider doing this.

Gérald Darmanin porte au Sénat son projet de loi sur la justice criminelle et pénale. Ce qu’il attaque en réalité, ce sont les droits de la défense et l’État de droit, sacrifiés sur l’autel de la sécurité et au prétexte de la lutte contre la grande criminalité. Par @xavmon.bsky.social

Seconding this! And if anyone wants to mix it up, there's also "foundational," "groundbreaking,""important," "essential," "landmark," "revolutionary"—all of which convey something slightly different without reinforcing gendered norms or giving anyone the ick.

@paolosandro.bsky.social, @echrhawk.bsky.social, @jgreenwoodreeves.bsky.social, and Rebecca Moosavian contribute to the defence of the Rule of Law! They submitted written evidence to the House of Lords Select Committee inquiry, and were cited several times in the final report👇 tinyurl.com/4eupupu2

If you are interested in such relationships, professional identity or medico-legal work please go and have a read, and let me know your thoughts: how can I do better? deadbodiesandthelaw.wordpress.com/2026/03/18/e...

TL;DR Labour's policies: 🚨Increase use of irregular routes 🚨Increase human trafficking 🚨Increase number of people forced to be undocumented 🚨Force people into deprivation 🚨Leave, particularly women and children, at risk 🚨Cost more than current policies 🚨Violate international law 10/ #r4today

One of the things that really gets me about this policy is that it doesn’t have the impact its supporters seem to think. It don’t affect numbers arriving but it does actively harm integration of those who come. It’s just a really, really bad policy. There’s no case for it being “necessary” at all.

Barristers from across England and Wales have shared the impact of individuals being delivered late to court by the Prisoner Escort and Custody Services (PECS).

The real point is this: so you heard people speaking a language you don’t understand, so what? So what? It’s not only not a big deal it isn’t a deal detectable with a microscope. Not everyone speaks English and no-one is obliged to make sure you can eavesdrop on their conversations. /5

In the 2010s, the Icelandic tv station Channel 2 accidentally added subtitles from a gritty crime drama to an episode of Teletubbies. I have translated some of the highlights

I've really enjoyed this piece which speaks to my misgivings about the constant injonction of self-care when what we all really need is to take care of each other instead.

Do have a read of my Substack today if you have time, it makes a convincing case for why going to the pub might not be good for "you" but it is good for "us" and then you can send to your friends and maybe they'll go the pub with you as well

Properly funding the court system would clear the backlog even more quickly. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

For those joining Bluesky from the Bad Place: welcome. Yes, you could/should have made the decision sooner, but it is never too late to make a good decision. And there is a lot on this site which will remind you of the Bad Place before it was bad.

wrote about The Other Place www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Omg hard relate!

Please re-share this - there aren't many permanent law jobs available in the UK right now! #academicjobfairy

Sounds great, until you read this bit: "The Guardian understands there will be no additional funding for these units, so forces will have to absorb the costs from existing budgets". Gov will do literally anything except actually fund the justice system. www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Sur le coup,c’est tout à fait FAUX. Les élus,par définition,ne sont pas neutres puisque élus sur des opinions. Ils ne doivent être neutres que lorsqu’ils exercent 1 service public ou représentent 1 administration publique. De +, la laïcité n’impose pas la laïcité aux usagers Et…

The jury remains central in the public imagination, but its practical role is marginal. The real threat to justice isn't the jury, it's the relentless prioritisation of efficiency over fairness and effectiveness in criminal justice policy. #CriminalJustice #JuryTrial #LegalReform

Trial by jury in England & Wales has a mythical status. It's seen as the pinnacle of adversarial justice: a judge decides the law and 12 jurors decide the facts. But in reality? Jury trials account for less than 1% of criminal cases.

In all the jury kerfuffle what isn't being discussed and should be is magistrates. The mixed bench proposed by Leveson to replace juries has been quietly dropped in favour of a single judge. And mags sentencing powers are going up again to 18 months (+up to 2 yrs) www.theguardian.com/law/2025/dec...

If you want some good news this morning, I showed my three boys the PM doing the six/seven thing and now they have all stopped doing it.

I struggle to see why turning ourselves into a society so unwelcoming that even those afraid for the lives are deterred from coming is something we would actually *want*.

To reiterate, this is about making life immeasurably more miserable and stressful for some of the most vulnerable people, in the almost certainly vain hope of winning over the votes of racists. Anything more shabby and shameful is difficult to envisage.

The normalisation, nay, emboldenment of the far right by the Labour government continues at pace

Re the last question: I have been wondering if this is because the police force had to instruct other (external) lawyers for the appeal who found out what happened...

This is an appalling judgment to read. Two Chief Constables found in contempt of court for misleading the court about the existence of video footage. But this was only discovered when the matter made it to the Court of Appeal. Incredible perseverance. www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWC...

This is a tragic, beautiful piece that highlights the brutal reality of life for many repeat offenders.

No loitering? In a park...

I’ve said this jokingly to colleagues but a universal research income (URI) of 10k would be a far more equitable and productive system than the current funding model staggering to think of the time and effort put into applications that have a 1% chance of getting funded

Giving everyone in the relevant field an equal share of grant funding with no peer review would deliver as much as they need. A moderate amount of resources in the UK, and a high amount of resources in the US and the Netherlands. Before we consider the money and time saved in application and review.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... "Based on the evidence we have reviewed, if Ruth's case had taken place in modern times, she would have been able to plead a defence of diminished responsibility or loss of control." This might be true for diminished responsibility but not convinced for loss of control

Exact same train of thoughts from me. And also made sure British husband got French citizenship to keep all our options open.

To be absolutely clear, it is impossible to vote for a party that cannot bring itself to unequivocally defend the rights of people living and working legally in this country. Because arbitrary removal of legal rights, or sudden varying of terms, for some is ultimately a threat to everyone.