The early Christmas chat is depressing enough, but I'd like to point out that there were pumpkins on sale in Morrisons yesterday, and I want to know who is buying a massive pumpkin over a month before Halloween?

Via The Independent: Donald Trump’s false claim that London ‘wants to go to Sharia law’ has been described as ‘appalling and bigoted’ by Mayor Sadiq Khan. The Muslim Council of Britain responded: “We pray for Mr Trump's health and wellbeing as his hallucinations seem to be getting worse by the day”

Utterly crap that people have to waste their time confirming this.

Judges interpreting rights under statute - bad; judges protecting rights at common law - good. Recent const devels (Sup Ct) - bad; longstanding const insts (civil service) - also bad and must be reformed; longstanding insts which are being reformed (House of Lords) - wrong kind of reform.

The highlight of a very funny (but also horrifying) series of posts.

Sunset

It's easy to dismiss this sort of thing as performative, but this performance is so much better than the alternatives.

Any Questions on R4 is particularly enraging tonight. Who is that awful American woman and why is she being given a platform to spout poison?

Some of it may also be the political minefield that’s the related local govt reorganisation agenda, which was led by Jim McMahon, no longer in post

The Irish and British governments are set to unveil new joint proposals to deal with legacy issues in Northern Ireland, as they seek to overcome one of the politically toxic problems arising from the history of the Troubles. www.irishtimes.com/politics/202... @IrishTimes.com

This is an absolute existential crisis level poll for Welsh Labour, holy hells this is utterly dire

Absolutely this.

Has US style right-wing anti-intellectualism arrived in Scotland? Tory Miles Briggs condemned an Edinburgh Univ study on racism & slavery as a "staggering misuse" of money, “self-indulgent” and “pandering to revisionist right-on views”. HT @leaskyd.bsky.social www.thetimes.com/article/1e4c...

Public Law is looking make several appointments to its Editorial Committee - details etc ⬇️ - expressions of interest to [email protected] by 31 October 2025.

"hobbyist research". JFC

Very sad - an outstanding scholar and lovely human being.

Really impressive presentation from @michae.lv on use of AI in law schools. Incredible work by UCL Laws on this and an inspiring/encouraging commitment to the integrity of the academic process.

Rookie error - packed a linen dress to wear today. No iron in hotel room so tried to steam it in the bathroom. Result: now wearing a dress that is both crumpled and damp.

Cymru am byth.

The Importance of being REFable

Academise a book: Catch 2+5x(2.5+1.5)

Crime and a Range of Sentencing Objectives

Impeccable advice.

After the earthquake in Afghanistan, "many male rescuers helped men but not women." The Taliban's "prohibition on contact between unrelated women and men meant many women’s wounds went untended and some were left trapped under rubble." www.nytimes.com/2025/09/04/w...

Despite all the warnings, that was still a bit of a shock.

Will anyone be charged this time?

This is genuinely not a problem for Public Law. Two possible explanations: 1. public lawyers are all lovely, public-spirited people; 2. we're not automated and it's harder to say no to a personal email.

*Brilliant*, as ever, by @profmarkelliott.bsky.social - but I fear the tabloid press/ Reform UK are simply not interested in debate, hence tactical positions adopted by ECHR's defenders? The developing domestic debate about the ECHR: Navigating two extremes publiclawforeveryone.com/2025/07/09/t...

Strange. If Murray was just being moved, why not announce that straight away? Looks like a reaction to Scottish Labour anger, but how likely is it that a belated demotion will appease them?

Autumnal breakfast: bramble and banana muffins

The Govt reshuffle continues with some significant changes at the Minister of State level - for devolution anoraks the most eye catching change is the departure of Jim McMahon, the minister leading on English devolution, just days after the Govt’s major English #devolution Bill had its 2nd Reading

Down with this sort of thing.

This is objectively much worse that Kinnock's "we're alright" rally in terms of putting off voters.

If you thought the Johnson government had no respect for the constitution, you ain't seen nothing yet.

No. #oldskoolandproud

And some evidence of the Welsh Govt's frustration with the UK Govt's failure to make progress on devolution as well.

Not a lot that's new here: a rehearsal of the case for Scotland having a political and constitutional right to self-determination and an assertion that a clear mandate to hold a referendum at a Holyrood election should lead to the transfer of power to do so. 1/2

Day return to Edinburgh nearly £20 cheaper this morning, thanks to abolition of peak fares on Scotrail. Hope it has the desired effect.

Do they have a bag and is there a rabbit in it?

There has been a lot of ink spilled about the substance of the Policy Exchange paper today. I just want to write a brief thread here on a point that I haven't seen mentioned today and what I think is likely to be a key target of the paper: the upcoming Supreme Court appeal in Dillon (UKSC/2025/0013)

Appeasement.

Cringe.

Fantastic new article by @ailsahenderson.bsky.social & @richardwynjones.bsky.social on the @uk.theconversation.com. "...UK governments find it easier to address Farage’s successive foreigner problems than to look at their own role in stoking English grievance." theconversation.com/nigel-farage...

I'm ded 💀 😂 😂 😂

Public law practitioners: have you been involved in litigation regarding automated decision making by Government, or do you think you might be in future? The @publiclawproject.bsky.social are keen to speak to you.

Graham Simpson, Conservative MSP for Central Scotland since 2016, has just defected to Reform UK. This is the second time they've had an MSP via defection, following Michelle Ballantyne ahead of 2021. She led the Scottish arm to 0.2% of the vote; times have certainly changed since then.

Today, I decided to put the magnet from a broken cupboard catch in my sewing box to be used to pick up spilled pins. Trump might be on to something.

BREAKING: Award-winning Scottish screenwriter Paul Laverty has been arrested after wearing a T-shirt reading 'Genocide in Palestine, time to take action' Police arrested the I, Daniel Blake writer in Edinburgh this morning

Yesterday, for something, I looked into terrorism arrest etc data 12% of all Terrorism Act arrests over a nearly 25 year period have come since in the past two months, s.13 arrests for Palestine Action 5618 on Home Office data Sept. 2001-Sept 2024 c.750 reported in media from early July

Another astonishing headline.