Thank you to all who celebrated Issue 13 with us, for a wonderful night of stories, poetry and song 💐 More about the new issue: channelmag.org/issue-13/

Sadly predictable that this government would respond to a massive left wing electoral result by swinging even further to the right. I think the lines for the next GE are going to be clear: a left coalition vs a FF-FG trying to appease the far right. www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

One of the key reasons behind non-jury trials in relation to terrorism cases in Ireland and Northern Ireland was orignially, not fear of jury intimidation but jury sympathy towards the defendant's cause; ie nullification. 1/ www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Most people in NI are really not surprised by the Soldier F outcome - but this was no show trial or witch hunt. The judge excoriated the soldiers' conduct, but because of a passing of time caused by extreme state failings, could not convict. That is the scandal. These headlines are grotesque:

I wrote a piece for @thejournal.ie about the govt's approach to the Occupied Territories Bill. I argue that diluting the OTB would be a political choice, not a legal requirement. The govt has so far tried to avoid defending this policy choice by making vague appeals to confidential legal advice.

I love both @channel-lit.bsky.social and @booksupstairs.bsky.social, so I'm grateful to have a story in this and really excited to give a reading at the launch.

Fine Gael contriving to get even members of the Bar not to vote for them is some going

Should be interesting to see Humphreys try to answer questions on this without the irono-meter exploding, but much more serious than her presenting the medal is the fact that the Gardaí decided to honour this person in the first place. Utterly chilling.

Legal academic here 🤚 A lot of misinformed commentary about the jewellery heist at the Louvre doing the rounds this morning. Worth clearing it up. It is a well-established principle that certain crimes are too cool for the law to have any force 1/ 🧵

Good news. I can't express how much admiration I have for the bravery of all these people.

Join our meet and greet session on Thursday October 30th to share your experiences as a writer with a disability, as we devise a range of targeted supports for disabled writers. Please contact Declan Meade by Wednesday October 22nd We’d love to hear from you. stingingfly.org/news/a-call-...

I wrote a piece for the @ukcla.bsky.social blog about the Palestine Action JR, mainly focusing on the claim that the proscription order was ultra vires. The court's approach to this, I argue, failed to take seriously the requirement that legislation be read in line with the principle of legality.

Constitutional law academic here 🙋‍♂️ A lot of media outlets seem to have missed that, constitutionally speaking, all 6 of Dublin's All-Ireland Senior Football Championship wins between 2015 and 2020 are now void. The 2013 win stands. 🧵1/

66 people were arrested outside the Labour Conference yesterday for peacefully holding signs with “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action” written on them. Hundreds of police officers were used to try to enforce Labour’s absurd ban. They failed to arrest everyone.

Far more important legal and political aspects to this whole story aside, Kneecap being the Roadrunner to the Crown Prosecution Service's Wile E Coyote is an endless source of amusement to me.

If the authorities are using counter terrorism powers against influential performers with effective legal teams, it's a really good idea not to clown yourselves getting muddled up with procedural technicalities. The UK Govt are Kneecap's best publicity machine: www.theguardian.com/music/2025/s...

Over 1600 people have now been arrested for offences like "wearing or displaying clothing" that arouses suspicion that they support Palestine Action. Impossible to overstate how repressive this is.

I had a great time reading and reviewing this book. Thanks to @stingingfly.bsky.social for running it on their website.

I have an important deadline this week, which means I am locked in, focused, and un-distractible. In totally unrelated news, I lacto-fermented some mushrooms, marinaded them in maple syrup and covered them in chocolate then repaired a washing machine motor.

Almost *5000* children. Reminder that 25% of TDs are landlords with a direct monetary interest in not enacting the policies that would fix this.

Some lovely fiction news. Very grateful to have been shortlisted for the Mairtín Crawford Award <3

Over 200 lawyers, academic and practising, signed the following letter to the UK Govt and parliamentary committees (Westminster and devolved) expressing our concerns over the FWS decision, its implications for trans rights in the UK, and the EHRC approach to it: www.parliament.scot/-/media/file...

Very excited to have a story appearing on the The Prompt, a wonderful new @rteradio1.bsky.social series presented by @zoecomyns.bsky.social. Doubly thrilled that the story was chosen by the great @wednesdayerskin.bsky.social. My story will be broadcast on the final episode in the series, on 13 July

For any west of Ireland-based folks, my friend and omni-talent Treasa O'Brien's new exhibition opens tonight in the Galway Arts Centre. It runs until the end of June and looks absolutely wonderful.

DO WE NOT HAVE OUR OWN CRUMMEYS WE COULD BE GIVING LITERARY AWARDS TO INSTEAD OF CANADIAN ONES

Just over a week to the deadline, so I'll bump this up for anyone who was interested but got lost in the marking melee...

New Blog Post: The UK Supreme Court Judgment Has Brought Much Needed Confusion: Why For Women Scotland Did Not Change UK Discrimination Law - by George Letsas uklabourlawblog.com/2025/05/07/t...

Suggestions welcome for this extremely important list I'm putting together

Me, @colinmurray.bsky.social , @anuragdeb.bsky.social & @sylviademars.me on the FWS judgment and the limits of its reach in Northern Ireland administrativecourtblog.wordpress.com/2025/04/30/l...

Happy International Workers' Day! If you can, join a union.

I'd also recommend this piece to any legal academics who want to treat the UKSC decision as a discrete piece of statutory interpretation. It's impossible to separate that decision from the broader context of the horrifying political and media climate in which trans people have to live.

Do join us today in TCD Law School today at 4pm for the final Irish Jurisprudence Society event of the academic year: a symposium on @aileenkavanagh.bsky.social's book, 'The Collaborative Constitution'

Insightful stuff as always from Tanzil

The Hollywood Reporter quoting Mo Chara from Kneecap as just "Chara" as though that's his surname name is cracking me up.

Gig for Gaza this evening in @maynoothuniversity.ie Featuring Abdullah al Bayyari, Leen Marrouf, Aziz Abushark, Bana Abu Zuluf, Ryan Molloy, Fergal Scahill & special guests. Tickets here eventbrite.ie/e/gig-for-ga... or on the door. Fundraiser for the Sameer Project linktr.ee/thesameerpro...

Publication day! 'The Principle of Legality: A Moral Theory' is now out in the world. Perfect for your undergraduate public law reading lists and children's birthday presents. Feeling immensely grateful to friends and colleagues for the years of support during the writing of this. <3

This anniversary makes me feel old and sad. Fortunately, that's precisely the best headspace to be in when listening to this masterpiece.

"I am deeply concerned about spiralling violence in the Middle East. The scale of death, destruction and unimaginable human suffering in Gaza is truly horrific and completely unacceptable." - Micheál Martin on 25 Sep 2024

A decent run.

Sums up the day. #LowrysLackeys #FakeOpposition #HowIrelandWorks

Irish government leaders seem to see accountability to the legislature as a baffling thing for anyone to demand of government. Both the speaking rights row and the efforts to shelve the Occupied Territories Bill by misleading about the constitutional concerns with the Bill are symptoms of this.

It's a pity Professor Vermeule hadn't thought up common good constitutionalism when he was defending Bush-era torture policies. There were plenty of vacuous arguments for absolute executive power back then, but this one would really have come in handy.

Festival of Palestinian Culture in @maynoothuniversity.ie 7-10 April. Culminates with 'Gig for Gaza' on Thursday 10th raising funds for The Sameer Project. linktr.ee/thesameerpro... Organised by AfP Maynooth + Maynooth BDS @afp-ire.bsky.social Details here: sites.google.com/view/maynoot...

The Taoiseach or any Irish government representative going anywhere near these psychopaths to celebrate our national day should be an unbelievable source of shame for them and rage for the rest of us.

Both the IT and RTE have reported that the Government is considering introducing a 'reference rental' system to replace RPZs, which was a Housing Commission recommendation. I'd love to know what their inside sources say because the Government has said little publicly to suggest this.

Concept of Law and It's Completely Different but Also Still Concept of Law

In an ideal world, we would protect young people from accessing dangerous or harmful material, but increasingly, that isn't possible. That's why in our Advanced Issues in Legal Philosophy class, @lawstuff.bsky.social and I let students encounter legal positivism in a controlled, safe environment.

Wrote this opinion piece with two colleagues in response to the concerted effort by Government, supported by conservative commentators and media, to undermine Irish neutrality. Original title was 'Co-ordinated attack on our neutrality is anti-democratic'. www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/comm...