So spent time breaking down the legal challenges and complexities around what may happen with the Palestine Action hoohar. I’ve tried to fill gaps in the knowledge. After mass arrests, what happens next with Palestine Action ban? www.bbc.com/news/article...

It’s gonna run and run this Supreme Court stuff: Trans former judge plans to challenge gender ruling at European court www.bbc.com/news/article...

Well worth a read by all journalists and anyone else who cares about open justice and how it assists the public to learn from tragedies. Well done Charlie Maloney who I don’t think inhabits these parts - Joshua’s write-up points to CM’s reporting.

More funding for judges to tackle record court delays - but it’s still short of what judges say they can do, what barristers say is needed and what two damning reports say will fix things for victims www.bbc.com/news/article...

Proof that AI has no sense of humour:

It’s worth looking at everything happening on people smuggling across the Channel and consider whether things may begin to change. Its a complex issue - and the pull/push factors are also crucial - but this is a look at the panopoly of security measures coming together: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Open Justice VICTORY: The govt has today SCRAPPED the Online Plea and Allocation plan, devised during Boris Johnson years. It would have led to no end of criminal cases, including many really serious allegations that lead to prison, beginning in secret.

Biggest criminal justice legislation plan in years brings back the whole anti social behaviour agenda. Assuming this mammoth package gets into law quickly, some police forces may struggle to deliver the “safer streets mission” because they desperately need more cash www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

An AI search engine summary I didn't ask for that isn't intelligent enough to work out the difference between the past and the present.

This: How Elon Musk seized on baseless memo claim to fuel wave of misinformation www.bbc.com/news/article...

WELL. That escalated quickly. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Urgent court hearing this afternoon regarding “H6”, the suspected spy who won Prince Andrew’s trust.

Nah… didn’t expect this headline on a Friday before Xmas but the problem with Spooks is they never tell you what they up to: www.bbc.com/news/article...

Legal grenade going off this morning in London Legal Land: Barrister Charlotte Proudman has won her extraordinary disciplinary hearing which accused her of misconduct after she had a pop at a judge for his "boys' club attitude". Charges thrown out. She said she had been a victim of discrimination.

The facts are in: New stats show Crown Court backlogs have now broken all records. *73,105 cases now waiting for trial.* That’s almost double the delays before the pandemic (a level that had by then already been rising due to cuts to judges, courts and a loss of barristers over pay.)

Four years ago, Cavan Medlock, a self-confessed Nazi sympathiser, chose his target, an immigration solicitor, after seeing his name in the Daily Mail & after weeks of ministers briefing against "activist lawyers". An important & under-reported terrorism case: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Long time coming this - MPs first asked the government to look at oversight of non-police prosecutions four years ago. Also an examination of the paper-based fast track for minor offences which is another big deal with evidnce of injustices - partic for vulnerable: www.bbc.com/news/article...

The Radio 3 Unwind online station on BBC Sounds is amazing. Some may say it’s like a middle class digitally delivered bong of the finest student house weed. (Not that I would have any idea about that. I’m in my 50s and live in the Home Counties) www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Doggo’s got some solar enhanced highlights going on.

Defence secretary to seek 'missing' nuclear test records www.bbc.com/news/article...

Result for the long campaign by the Mirror + @fleetstreetfox.bsky.social. Highlighted by us this week. Defence Sec John Healey has pledged to MPs to investigate if there are missing and secret files hiding the truth about what nuclear bomb test veterans experienced. Run VT from Defence Committee:

Lawyers for the nuclear bomb test veterans, in last night’s top documentary, proposing to launch legal action against the government in Jan if there’s no agreement on an alternative (and vastly cheaper) resolution for their claims of a cover-up of the damage to their health.

If you watch one thing tonight, make it this moving film about the surviving veterans of the UK’s nuclear bomb tests & their fight to find out if the military covered up what top brass knew about their suspected radioactive contamination. 9pm BBC2 and the iPlayer now: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

Just used the "Sky Bridge" chrome plugin to find people I'm following on what was Twitter who are now on BSky. It is good but has limitations due to same names issue. If you're a Joe Bloggs, but not the Joe Bloggs I need, don't take it the wrong way if I now unfollow you...

Big issue from a fortnight ago doing a deep dive analysis of where the new Lab govt goes (or not) is a great read if you can still find it. Learned more about the complexities of housing policy over this issue+local pint than in a year

You couldn’t make it up: The Onion buys Alex Jones's Infowars at auction www.bbc.com/news/article...

Watch this. Protest in NZ/Aotearoa Parliament over the deeply controversial proposal to reinterpret the founding constitutional agreement between the Māori & Queen Vic / Euro settlers that has made the modern nation a stand out in its capacity to deal with the past. www.bbc.com/news/article...

Met Police faces service cuts without more cash, says its chief. www.bbc.com/news/article...

Has anyone clever written some code to export a list of followed accounts from the platform formerly known as useful and match it to the same users here ?

Really interesting read from Lord Sumption this - lobs a legal stink bomb at the US Supreme Court and its handling of the Trump case and the US Constitutional settlement more generally. Well worth the time: www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/world/united...

Better start posting here now that people have jumped on board… I have to admit however that ignoring social media for months has been an (admittedly anti-social) delight …

Live right now: Coverage of what may be Julian Assange’s last attempt to prevent his extradition to the USA www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk...

Important twist in the Andy Malkinson case that raises questions about how the miscarriages of justice body acted a decade ago. It realised it may be missing opportunities to investigate new DNA leads in potential wrongful convictions. Its internal review diagnosed the problem but…

Home Office announces controversial Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir to be banned in the UK as a terrorist organisation after followers changed "jihad" at Gaza rally last year. That's a decision literally debated for 20 years in government - Blair and Cameron both thought about it.

Hello Legal/Academic peeps: Does anyone have a list or can point me in the direction of all the Declarations of Incompatibility at the UK SC and what happened next? Thanks!

NATION'S JOURNALISTS RUSH TO BOOK SPRING HOLIDAYS:

Meanwhile over in the other hate-filled place my colleague from the Evening Standard is reporting the press are going to have to practice their yoga chair pose:

Follow the money: One small document buried on government website reveals the UK has earmarked at least £700m for small boat arrivals until 2030 - if not later www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-6767...

RWANDA BILL PUBLISHED: Draft Bill aiming to fix the problems with the Rwanda scheme. Now available on government website - and to be introduced in Parliament tomorrow: www.gov.uk/government/p...

Quite extraordinary: Official figures show a *new record high* for net migration to the UK of 745,000 people for 2022. That's 139,000 *higher* that previously thought. And almost 8x government's self-imposed on-off target of "tens of thousands".

Vatican investigating possible miracle as Nottingham Forest suddenly climb one place in PL table:

We’re a bit in the dark about the PM’s planned “emergency” legislation on Rwanda. It’s not appeared yet. Seems to be weeks away. Strictly speaking that doesn’t resemble the usual definition of emergency legislation to be rushed through Parliament. Two examples:

She Said It Her Way. Eight of Suella Braverman's choicest quotes and what they told us about her approach to one of the most sensitive and important jobs in the British state: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-6737...

BREAKING: Suella Braverman SACKED as Home Secretary after her interventions putting pressure on the police over Gaza protest.

BREAKING: Prince Harry, Baroness Doreen Lawrence and others can continue their High Court damages claim for unlawful information gathering against the publisher of the Daily Mail. Judge has just refused to stop the case, chucking out Associated Newspapers’ application to do so. Big.

Big political dilemma for Rishi Sunak beyond this row: The Rwanda policy Supreme Court Judgment is next week. If he sacks SB now, and Govt loses in court, he’s in the firing line. No one left to take the heat. If they win, SB becomes a victorious massive backbench threat.

Why can't Suella Braverman stop the Palestinian march on Saturday? Because the law doesn't allow her to - and at the moment the police haven't got a case to ban it. The ins and outs explained:

RWANDA JUDGMENT AT THE SUPREME COURT NEXT WEDS. IT WILL ALL BE IN CAPITALS. (Well actually not, but I’m already in Caps Lock mode it’s so massive)

Met Commissioner says Saturday’s Palestinian solidarity march is happening because there’s no lawful reason to stop it - but the political pressure on him continues. Now the PM is saying he will “hold him accountable”. Sir Mark Rowley meeting PM later…

King’s Speech - BBC Live Page here: www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk...