Presumably Oxford got this for little or near nothing so that the developer can now say "Oxford uses it so it is great." /1

Unrelated, probably

Posted without comment. Or pissing myself laughing

It is 20 years since Conor Gearty gave the Hamlyn Lectures on Can Human Rights Survive? As a mark of respect following the dreadful news of his, Cambridge University Press & Assessment has made these lectures Open Access for the remainder of the year. You can find them here: lnkd.in/e5Xrt2G5

All political tribes can be hypocritical but the right's current level of hypocrisy on free speech is deliberate. It's an assertion of power not a blindspot.

Great story, with a flavour of Rumpole. Pupillage at 59, still going at 93.

The cancellation of Jimmy Kimmel was not a corporate decision triggered by a boo-boo by the comedian. It was a government decision encompassed in the FCC Commissar's threat to take away the license of ABC. Totalitarian leaders don't like being the butt of jokes. www.thedailybeast.com/jake-tapper-...

NEW on Wonkhe: Jim Dickinson examines the long-awaited Public Office (Accountability) Bill and its far-reaching implications for higher education – where honesty will no longer be optional, but enforceable buff.ly/iJOwEuV

@davidallengreen.bsky.social I used to watch Hill Street Blues every week with my long gone Mum. Remarkably most of the cast seem to be alive

At long last the Hillsborough Law can become a reality, changing how this country functions and how the state can act. It’s a monumental achievement from the families, who never gave up. ✍️ @liamthorp.bsky.social

I extremely rarely recommend books but I devoured this in a single sitting, and I think that if you know any uk humaniites academics, or anyone struggling with an immigrant identity, or just love prose, you should read it.

A sizeable chunk of the over 50s are gravitating back to the racist times I grew up in. Most realised through a shift in culture, racism was destructive and wrong, yet clearly some felt muted. All this was within their lifetime and they feel they can be "proud" again. The lid needs to be put back.

Pulitzer Feeling Increasingly Out Of Place In Washington Post Office

This firm actually only had 2 people accredited to do asylum legal aid work, and set up 7 new offices doing asylum cases (for a total of 8). They closed 2,580 cases in one year, which is clearly impossible if those 2 people are actually doing the work. Contract now withdrawn, but only after

Some personal news: I've been fired from the Washington Post in the aftermath of the Charlie Kirk shooting. Thread incoming. substack.com/@karenattiah...

A lovely tribute from Áras an Uachtaráin to mark Professor Conor Gearty's passing: president.ie/en/media-lib...

I was surprised how short this was

In overturning the conviction, the Court of Appeal … dismissed the idea that police coerced him. www.thejusticegap.com/oliver-campb...

Demand for human-generated, trust-certified internet content is skyrocketing. There is a major business opportunity, in *every* country, for media firms to meet this rising demand with innovation. Fascinating new experiment by @filipecampante.bsky.social et al.—> filipecampante.org/wp-content/u...

I recommend everyone watches this

What happens when you pay a fortune for tax advice from someone, and the advice turns out to be incompetent? And HMRC demands the tax back plus penalties? If you guessed "you get all your money back" then I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed.

The Gary L* National TV award a small victory in a thoroughly depressing war... * you rightly surmise I am unsure of my spelling

I'm off to Google Kadonnut

Conor Gearty leaves many legacies but chief amongst them must be the love and respect that so many feel for him. I am so sorry for all close to him. His memory is and will be a blessing to you, to us, all.

The oaths taken by U.S. lawyers in order to practice law should be expanded in every state to include a "commitment to upholding democracy and the rule of law" an American Bar Association task force said on Wednesday.

Breaking news: Global Counsel, the lobbying firm co-founded by Peter Mandelson, is preparing to cut ties with the former UK ambassador to the US, telling clients that his stake in the business will be sold imminently to a new investor. on.ft.com/4nn17aZ

The lawsuit by three top FBI officials fired by the Trump administration has an astonishing amount of detail about the inner workings of the bureau over the past nine months:

Suspect lots of people here don't realise how big a deal Kirk was on TikTok in the UK. Twins have seen loads of videos about him (mostly him being "owned" by progressive students). Lots of chat about it already on their WhatsApps. Much more so than anything in UK politics.

Chaired law professor at NYU its.law.nyu.edu/facultyprofi... When people who've devoted their careers to the law start talking like this...

I’m wondering how busy the Elizabeth line will be

“This is massive. This will cause generative A.I. companies to sit up and take notice.” www.nytimes.com/2025/09/05/t...

Interesting and suggestive of Starmer being doomed

27 pieces on this.

What does the Darren Jones move to be first ever “chief secretary to the PM” mean for the govt? Here’s our take… www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/keir...

"The numbers arriving so far this month have been the lowest in August since 2021" - The Times mentions in the 24th paragraph of its front-page splash something which few people in the print, broadcast and online newsrooms of the UK are aware of www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

"Isak’s talent-ceiling is thrillingly high. He’s also 26 in a month, has two good seasons, and two goals from open play for Newcastle since March. And now we have this, an airborne toxic event, a void filled with fake feeling."

There were some very generous comments in response to my recent piece about Lord Scarman and Mrs Gillick. New readers might not be familiar with the reminiscences I enjoy writing on Substack during quieter times. So here are 25 favourites from the past 5 years. rozenberg.substack.com/p/a-lawyer-r...

😂 Think Shearer's take on the wantaway striker the most sensible fwiw and think laughing at misfortune and moving on our best option

"The reason the percentage going to private school is so static over time, despite far higher demand if it were affordable, is that the schools want to keep levels roughly stable. They’re mostly charities so their incentive is to be as elite as possible, not to scale."

Dan Neidle points out that his complaint about whether Carter Ruck probably in essence recklessly faciltated crime open.substack.com/pub/taxpolic...

SLAPP action to go forward at SDT against Carter Ruck lawyer. I expect an expensive defence... www.theguardian.com/law/2025/aug...

Great article and congratulations @richardmoorhead.bsky.social on your new role. www.monash.edu/law/news-and...

I'm giving a public lecture, “Bureaucracy and Distrust: The Civil Service in the Constitution” on Thursday 16 October 2025, 6-7pm. This is part of UCL's Current Legal Problems lecture series. More details here: lnkd.in/e2AJMzbW

Others have noted that this means foreign-born people are LESS likely than UK-born people to be in prison. What I want to note is that The Times is now referring to foreign-born UK citizens as ‘foreigners’. This includes Boris Johnson, Sir Mo Farah, Emma Watson, Rory Stewart and little old me.

Second blog post of the year! How I made a website to make UK legislation readable on mobile: dracos.co.uk/wrote/adlege...

Multiple credible claims that Bove urged DOJ employees to break the law and ignore the judiciary. And the GOP Senate decided this is not disqualifying because nothing is disqualifying.

A bit of personal news with an Australian angle... Professor Richard Moorhead joins Monash Law share.google/6Zxe6rgHxLEd... whilst continuing at @exeter.ac.uk A very big thank you to everyone at both institutions that have helped make this happen

Yes

A standing ovation for a person described as 'one of the men we should admire the most in the world'. Sir Alan Bates, Founder of the Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance was presented with an honorary doctorate by @richardmoorhead.bsky.social @exeter.ac.uk.

A genuinely uplifting moment. Sir Alan Bates getting a lovely ovation and a Doctorate Honoris Causa at @exeter.ac.uk Watch from 1'21" lnkd.in/eHXpjBVC